


The Plan That Actually Worked

by SkewedReality



Category: Glee
Genre: M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-03-19
Updated: 2012-06-04
Packaged: 2017-11-02 05:38:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 61,161
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/365531
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SkewedReality/pseuds/SkewedReality
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Brittany devises a plan to help Rory talk to his crush, Sam Evans, the Irish boy is terrified. Instead of backfiring horribly, it ends up going better than he could have ever hoped. RoryxSam Rated M for later chapters.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Plan

Rory had always been a good student. It was the main reason he'd been chosen for the exchange program in the first place. The schoolwork he'd been given in America wasn't even a challenge; he usually had his homework done before he left school. That's why he couldn't understand why Brittany found it so difficult. Nevertheless, he offered to be her tutor, and the two became fast friends.

Brittany was his only friend in America so far, and even though she wasn't exactly brilliant, she was nice, trustworthy, and always wanted to help. Sometimes though, she was a bit too helpful. She had a mind to set Rory up on a real American date.

"So," Brittany started, looking up from her homework toward Rory.

"So...?" Rory mimicked, prompting her to continue.

Something about her tone had him instantly suspicious.

Brittany pushed her books aside on the bed and straightened up to look at Rory who looked like he was nervously bracing for an explosion.

"Well, you've been here for a month and you haven't gone out yet. You're supposed to be seeing how Americans live and you haven't done anything."

"I know. I've not made any friends, Brittany. I can't go out with friends if I haven-"

"No, I get that, but I want to help." She was smiling from ear to ear.

"How do you plan to do that," Rory asked, suspicious.

"Okay, so Santana and I are going to Breadstix and a movie this Friday."

"You want me to accompany you on your date?" Rory's face was screwed up in confusion. He was already shaking his head in dissent.

"Sorta," Brittany said, getting animated. "I'm gonna find you a date and we can do a double date."

"Oh, Brittany, I think that's a really bad idea."

"No it isn't. It's a great idea! Now I just have to find a date for you," she said excitedly. "Is there anyone you like? A girl? A boy...?"

Rory was dumbfounded. Had she just asked if he liked a boy? He looked up to see her face. She just looked back at him excitedly. It was obvious that she'd wanted to broach this subject for awhile.

"What?" It was all he could think to say.

"Well, Lord Tubbington said that he heard you talking about Sam Evans in your sleep."

Rory sat frozen in shocked silence. He remembered the recent dream he had involving the blonde boy from his English class and became instantly mortified that someone had heard him. He knew he talked in his sleep, but never expected Brittany to be listening. His pale skin flamed red with embarrassment.

Rory's eyes flashed to Brittany's. "You didn't tell him did you?" His voice cracked and squeaked in strange places.

Brittany shook her head, still smiling widely. Rory relaxed slightly at the knowledge that his secret hadn't been revealed. He couldn't imagine facing Sam knowing that he knew.

Rory's face fell slightly. "But he's with that girl," he broke off, unable to put a name to the face.

"Oh, Mercedes," Brittany said dismissively.

Rory nodded in acknowledgment.

"No, they're not together. They're super close, but no. They broke up, but they're still friends."

Blush colored Rory's cheeks and he looked down bashfully.

"Here," Brittany's voice jolted him from his thoughts. "Text him and ask him out for Friday."

Rory felt his heart stutter and skip a beat. "No!"

The word came out quickly and desperately. There was no way in Hell he could text him and ask him out. He was far too shy, and not to mention, a fair bit awkward.

"Fine," Brittany said confidently, undeterred. "But tomorrow, we do it my way."

Rory sat in nervous silence before a look of confusion settled on his features.

She leaned in and kissed Rory on the cheek before skipping out of his bedroom. "Goodnight, magic leprechaun," she beamed as she closed the door.

The Irish boy smiled and threw himself backwards on his bed. For someone as dense as a brick, sometimes Brittany knew the perfect thing to say. He was sure his best friend was in the next plotting his impending, imminent mortification, but he couldn't bring himself to care. Part of him was screaming with terror to run into Brittany's room and beg her not to carry through with her dastardly plan, whatever it may be, but that part was helplessly overpowered by the majority of his mind was hopeful for the chance to go out with Sam.

His mind instinctively tried to prepare him for the worst, but for some reason, he just couldn't bring himself to be pessimistic.

Even though he was so nervous his hands were trembling, Rory fell asleep with an excited smile on his face.

Rory's phone vibrated in his pocket; he glanced at his watch quickly. It was 2:45 P.M., no one from home would be writing him now. He curiosity got the best of him, and he decided it chance it and pull his cell phone out during class.

It was Brittany. "Meet me outside the choir room after the bell rings."

Rory shifted a sly glance to where the teacher stood, with her back turned, before firing off a quick reply.

"Ok. Why?" He tapped his fingers impatiently, wracking his brain to see her plan.

"Don't worry. Just trust me."

"Alright. I'll be there."

His stomach did nervous flips as he watched the clock ticking toward 2:55.

He'd been so wrapped up in his thoughts that the sound of the dismissing bell made him jump and knock his papers off his desk.

He sighed deeply, trying to will himself to relax.

With his messenger bag slung over his shoulder, he did his best to try and put one foot in front of the other and go meet Brittany. Another deep sigh and he made it to the hallway and saw her bouncing eagerly. The Cheerio flitted to Rory's side and linked pinkies with him.

"I was afraid you'd run away, so I'm going to walk with you."

"What are we doing exactly?" Rory's voice cracked nervously.

"You," the blonde corrected, beaming and touching a finger to Rory's nose. "Are going to join the glee club."

A very unmanly and undignified squeak escaped Rory's mouth. He shook his head violently.

His panic fit was met by Brittany smiling and replying, "I've heard you singing in the shower, and you're amazing. I think so, and Sam will too. Remember, you had your chance to do this your way, and you didn't so, now it's my turn."

"Brittany," the Irish boy whined in response. She silenced him by putting a finger to his lips and shaking her head delicately. Rory's eyebrows shot up pleadingly, but she stood her ground.

"No buts, Rory," she said, smiling as she dragged Rory toward the choir room. "Let's go show Sam why I think you're magical."

Rory froze at the door. He couldn't bring himself to enter. There were people laughing and talking inside. They were all so familiar with each other that Rory instantly felt like an outsider intruding on something private.

All of a sudden, everything had just taken a violent leap into reality. The reality in which guys like Sam didn't fall for guys like him. The reality in which he'd always be an outcast. He couldn't do this. The tall brunette turned on his heel and tried to make his tactical retreat before Brittany could stop him.

Rory wheeled around to run but only found that his situation had gone from horrible to catastrophic as he took a step, only to trip over his own shoelace and stumble ungracefully into the strong chest of Sam Evans.

"Whoa," Sam said, steadying the awkward boy with a hand on each hip. "You alright?" The blonde's face was amused as he tilted Rory's face up so that his ocean blue eyes met his own.

Rory nodded woodenly.

In that moment, he wished was all his might that Brittany had been right when she believed he was a leprechaun, because he wanted nothing more than to be able blink and make himself disappear.

"Rory?" Sam's voice was colored with concern.

'Say something!' Rory mentally screamed at himself. Anything!

"I tripped."

The former quarterback laughed quietly. "I see that. Are you okay? You look a little sick."

"Yeah, I'm okay," the Irish boy managed to say.

"Are you sure?" The concern was back in Sam's voice.

"Just nervous." Why did you say that? Rory chastised internally.

"Oh, are you joining?" Sam asked, gesturing toward the choir room.

Now it was too late to back out.

'Good job, idiot. Have fun making an ass out of yourself.' Rory sighed. At least Sam hadn't guessed the real cause of his nerves. Anything else, Rory could live with.

"Yeah," Rory answered. "Brittany thought it would help me make friends."

'Way to make yourself sound desperate, Rory.'

Sam brought a hand up to clap on Rory's shoulder and smiled a smile that made Rory's heart skip a beat. He couldn't help but smile back.

What Rory couldn't have known is what his answering heartbreaking smile did to the blonde boy.

Brittany, who had been all but ignored until that point, was beaming.

"You know, Sam," she offered a little too innocently. "Rory needs to pick the perfect song to sing when he actually auditions tomorrow, and with Cheerios practice," -Her angle was absolutely transparent.- "Maybe you could help him pick it."

Rory flushed deeper and quickly dropped his eyes to his feet.

"I'd love to, Rory." Sam replied to him directly, even thought Brittany had been the one who had spoken. The blonde boy realized how eager his tone had been and decided to reel it back. "That is, if he wants me."

"I do!" Rory's voice came out quickly. He was embarrassed by his over-excitement.

"Cool," Sam beamed. His stomach fluttered as Rory looked up to meet his eyes, a smile stretched widely across his small face, making his sparkling blue eyes crinkle. Beautiful.


	2. Carrying Out the Plan

Throughout the entire practice, Rory had tucked himself away in the furthest corner of the back row to avoid drawing attention, but Sam got up midway through and came to sit next to him.

"Why are you hiding?" His voice was light but was undertoned with genuine concern.

"I'm not hiding, really. I just sort of feel out of place. Everyone else has been here forever, and I just came waltzing in here halfway through the year."

"I know how you feel. I did the same thing my first year, but at least I was dating the captain of the Cheerios, so that helped ease the transition."

Rory couldn't think of anything to say. He certainly didn't have the convenience of dating someone popular. He was just a foreign kid, with a foreign accent, that everyone treated as though he was from Mars.

No one really bothered to ever talk to him. Aside from his conversations with Brittany, this was the longest he'd spoken with anyone since arriving in the States.

"Rory?" Sam's amused voice was louder than normal. "You in there?"

He had spaced out. "Yeah. Sorry, Sam."

"I asked why you decided to come to Ohio, of all places."

"Oh, I didn't really get to choose where they sent me."

Sam looked almost horrified. "Someone sent you here? Who?"

Rory caught himself laughing before he could stop it. "No, not like exiled to Ohio. I'm part of my school's foreign exchange program."

"Oh," he looked relieved. "That's good. So, you'll have to go back after this year."

Rory's heart leapt at the idea of going home. He missed everyone so much. "Yeah, after this year is over, I go home to Ireland."

They kept up a steady conversation over the course of the hour, and Rory found himself feeling at ease around Sam in a way he hadn't expected. There was an air about Sam that was just instantly comforting. Sam found himself hanging on every word that Rory said, entranced by the excitement that was infused in everything he said. The blonde could feel the way his stomach fluttered each time Rory laughed his goofy laugh. It was infectious.

They talked about serious things and ridiculous things. Finding it easy to just laugh and carry on a conversation. The two didn't even realize how long they'd been talking until Mr. Shue told them it was time to go, because he had to lock up. Everyone else had already filed out. Brittany left with the excuse of having to go to Santana's and asked Sam if he'd mind just dropping Rory off at home later.

Brittany winked at Rory while Sam wasn't looking before she left the room. A text message followed shortly after her departure saying: "Ur gonna tell me everything 2nite!"

Rory smiled at his phone and just sent back a smiley face.

He knew that the Cheerio would be waiting to accost him the second he walked in the door.

"She's doing this on purpose, isn't she?" Sam asked as they walked to his truck.

"What?" Rory tried to play dumb.

"I know Brittany. She's up to something."

Rory just shrugged his shoulders and Sam laughed.

The Irish boy looked down at his feet to avoid Sam's line of questioning. The blonde didn't miss the blush that colored Rory's cheeks. He found himself spending just a little bit too much time watching the way the flushed pinkness accentuated the Irish boy's sparkling blue eyes. A slow smile spread across Sam's face.

The brunette shifted his messenger bag on his shoulder awkwardly. They'd made it to the double doors leading to the parking lot, and Sam held the door open for Rory.

"After you," the blonde gestured grandly toward the open door, a wide smile gracing his features.

"Thank you," Rory stuttered, his voice colored with embarrassment.

The two walked in companionable silence to Sam's truck. Rory's stomach did a nervous flip as the reality of what was happening hit him. He was about to be alone, really, really alone with Sam. Rory contemplated their plan as he climbed into the cab of Sam's truck and heard the engine roar to life.

Sam had mentioned earlier that Finn's house was going to be empty and that they could just go there and practice for Rory's debut, but now the plan had been reworked in order in include watching Avatar after Rory had said that he hadn't seen it.

Sam had looked personally insulted and began speaking Na'vi as the Irish boy watched him with confused eyes and an amused smile. He watched the excitement shine in Sam's eyes as he spoke.

"Wanna know what I said?" Sam had asked. Rory nodded, amusement still playing across his lips. "I said, 'You have beautiful eyes'."

Rory's cheeks had flushed scarlet, and he quickly dropped his gaze to his lap. Sam laughed quietly to himself and adjusted the volume on the radio. His fingers tapped time on the steering wheel as his smooth, deep voice crooned along with a song Rory had never heard before. He tried to act disinterested, eyes wandering out the windows to survey the scenery, but he was intently paying attention to Sam's voice. It calmed him, relaxed him in a way that made him feel safe and almost sleepy.

He sighed and continued to gaze out the passenger's side window, completely content. The drive back to the Hudson-Hummel house was relatively short. The boys felt comfortable enough with each other that they had ridden most of the way in companionable silence, no awkwardness to be found. The gravel crunched under the truck's tires as it pulled into the driveway.

Excitement fluttered in Rory's stomach as he stepped out of the cab, his eyes taking in the sight of the empty house.

Sam started talking again as they began walking the short path to the front door. "So yeah, my guitar is inside, so I can play behind you. What song were you going to sing again?"

Rory shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know yet. I was actually hoping you might have some ideas."

Sam made a small, contemplative noise in throat as he unlocked the door and held it open for Rory.

"We can think about it while we eat. You hungry?" Sam tossed his backpack aside and started toward the kitchen. Rory followed absently, shaking his head lightly. "Thirsty?" Sam offered.

"Uh, yeah, actually," Rory answered. His throat actually was a bit dry. The blonde tossed him a can of Coke and he opened it quickly, too quickly.

The well-shaken can of soda began to spray all over the front of Rory's t-shirt, staining it with splotches of brown. Rory cursed quickly and sprinted to the sink to grab a dishrag. He mentally flogged himself for being such an idiot. As he ran water over the dishcloth, he risked a glance to Sam. His face was alight with amusement and fondness. A wave of quiet laughter shook through him.

The blonde took the few steps that would close the gap between himself and the embarrassed Irish boy to take the cloth from his fretting hands.

"Don't worry about it, Rory. I've got it. I'm not going to freak out because you spilled soda. Just relax, Ror." His eyes surveyed the ruined front of Rory's shirt. "Go into my closet and grab a clean shirt. You can't wear that."

Sam pointed the way to his bedroom, and Rory walked away after profusely thanking the blonde for his generosity. Rory walked through Sam's door and immediately knew he was in the right room. The room smelled of peppermint and cologne, Sam's cologne. He stood still for a moment and just breathed in the scent before walking to the closet and pulling the door open to reveal Sam's collection of t-shirts.

He quickly grabbed a comfy-looking gray shirt with the words "McKinley High Athletic Dept." printed in a faded shade of red. He slid his shirt over his head and pulled on the fresh one in almost the same motion, wary of spending too much time alone in his crush's bedroom. He stopped by his backpack in the living room to stuff in the stained shirt before heading back to the kitchen.

Sam had cleaned up the mess and poured the remaining contents of the offending soda can into a glass. He swiftly offered the glass to Rory. "Here, I figured this might be a little easier for you," he joked. Rory took the glass and followed Sam back into his bedroom.

"Make yourself comfortable," Sam said easily, gesturing for Rory to sit down on the bed. Rory settled down, cross-legged, on the bed. Sam grabbed his guitar and dropped down beside him. "Okay, so I was thinking about the song you should do. I think this would suit your voice well."

Rory listened as Sam began to play the first few notes to the song and immediately recognized the tune. It was a song he hadn't even considered, but it was perfect.

Rory began to sing along to the tune.

Well I heard there was a secret chord

that David played and it pleased the Lord

But you don't really care for music, do you?

Well it goes like this:

The fourth, the fifth,

The minor fall and the major lift

The baffled king composing Hallelujah

Sam smiled softly as he watched Rory singing. The Irish boy was singing with his eyes closed. It was obvious that he was singing the song from the very core of his being. It was such an intimate moment that Sam felt as though Rory had closed himself off to the world. His voice was quiet but passionate. Sam's fingers played the song from memory, his eyes transfixed on where the boy's body swayed in front of him.

Maybe there's a God above

all I've ever learned from love

Was how to shoot somebody who outdrew you

And it's not a cry that you hear at night

It's not somebody who's seen the light

It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah

A tear slid down Sam's cheek as he heard Rory's quiet voice drift into the final chorus, repetitious and subtly passionate. The words came out a whisper louder than the guitar. The final note hung poignantly in the air and Rory's eyes fluttered open. They sparkled ice blue with emotion and Sam couldn't help himself. He closed the small gap between them and pressed his lips softly against Rory's, the guitar squeezed tightly between their chests.

Shock flitted across Rory's face before his eyes fluttered closed again and started moving his lips against Sam's. The soft kiss was broken shortly, and Sam's hand came to rest against Rory's cheek. His voice was breathless as his eyes opened to meet the crystal blue gaze of the Irish boy. "That was...That was beautiful, Rory."

Rory's pale skin began to warm under Sam's hand at the compliment. The blonde's thumb idly stroked the blush tinted apple of Rory's cheek. The brunette's answering smile was breathtaking. It literally took Sam's breath away, and he leaned forward to press another soft kiss to the boy's lips.

"All right," Sam said, leaning back and slapping his hands against his thighs. "Wanna watch Avatar?"

Rory laughed a quick peel of laughter, waiting for the awkwardness that never came. Sam had just kissed him and now he had changed direction so quickly that it made the Irish boy's head spin. He didn't understand what had happened, or what was going to happen next, but he couldn't bring himself to question it.

"Sure," he replied, his voice amused but still breathless from the shock that hadn't entirely worn off.

"All right," Sam repeated, throwing himself off the bed in the direction of the small television in the corner of the room before busying himself with the DVD player. Rory sighed contentedly and pushed himself backward so that his back was leaning against the headboard of the small bed, stretching his legs. The muscles in his legs had become cramped from being crisscrossed for so long.

Sam flipped off the light in the room and tossed himself on the bed beside Rory, sliding into his side and putting an arm behind his shoulders. The brunette smiled at the new contact, reveling the warmth that Sam's arm provided. He wasn't sure exactly when it happened, but before long Rory was lying with his head on Sam's chest watching the movie play itself out on the screen and listening to the blonde's strong heartbeat as he felt Sam's fingers threading themselves idly through his hair.

The moment, with Sam's warmth so close, Rory felt the weight of the day beginning to wear down on him. He yawned widely and snuggled a little closer against the blonde's side. Sam adjusted the blanket over them and slid his free hand along Rory's back. The darkness of the room began to be too much for Rory's willpower, and he felt himself beginning to fall asleep.

Sam laughed quietly when he'd realized that he'd lost Rory to sleep. The brunette's fingers loosening their clutch on the front of his t-shirt as he relaxed. Soft snores slipped from Rory as Sam watched him sleep. He looked so peaceful as he lay against Sam's side, wearing his favorite t-shirt. He squeezed him a little tighter out of instinct, and soon the tranquility of the scene became too much for Sam. He drifted to sleep shortly after Rory.

The sound of a door slamming jarred Rory awake. The bed he was in was too soft to be his own, and he felt a little too warm. Underneath his ear he heard the slow, thudding sound of a heartbeat as reality began to seep in. He heard the quiet sound of breath gusting in and out of Sam's chest and remembered that the warmth he felt was Sam's arm around him.

There had been no awkward tension after Sam had kissed him. Everything drifted along so naturally that he suddenly felt stupid for being worried in the first place. He had no idea what was going to happen from that point on, but he wasn't afraid anymore. A smile spread across his face.

He hadn't noticed that Sam had woken until he felt fingers ghosting at his shoulder. He spoke first.

"Hey."

"Mmm...hey," Sam mumbled sleepily. "What time is it?"

The whole scene felt so domestic that Rory couldn't help but laugh.

"About 5:30, I think."

"I can't believe we fell asleep," Sam said, lifting his free hand to rub the sleep from his eyes.

"Well, I don't know about you, but I was exhausted, and you were comfortable. Like a pillow." Rory joked.

"Glad to be of assistance," Sam added, laughing quietly. "So...do you want to talk about this, or...?" His voice was still light.

"What about this did you want to talk about?" Rory's voice was light, but colored with mild anxiety.

"Well, I sort of kissed you..."

"Sort of?"

"Okay, I kissed you, and then we cuddled, and then we fell asleep," Sam listed, ticking each item off on his fingers as he covered it.

"Yeah, we did."

"So, what does this mean?"

"What does it mean to you?" Rory was hedging, afraid of overplaying his hand.

"Well," Sam said, nervously stroking his fingers along Rory's shoulder. "I was hoping that this sort of made us...together."

Rory's heart jumped and kicked into overdrive. "I-I think I'd like that, Sam."

"Really?" The blonde's voice was excited.

A blinding smile flashed across Rory's face. "Yes, really."

The two laughed quietly, before Sam leaned down and kissed Rory on the top of his head.

"I've really got to be heading back to Brittany's though. I told Mrs. Pierce that I would be home for dinner. I'm probably late already."

Sam sighed deeply. He didn't want to move. He wanted to stay just the way they were. "Alright, if you have to."

Sam insisted that Rory take one of his hoodies since it had gotten cold outside while they'd slept. The ride bringing Rory home hadn't taken nearly as long as Sam or Rory would have liked. They held hands on the seat and sang along to the radio. When Sam pulled his truck to the side of the curb outside of Brittany's house, Rory noticed a small bit of light peeking through the curtains of the front window as though someone had their face sneakily pressed between the curtains to spy. He sighed, amused, as he realized that that was probably exactly what was happening.

Sam took his free hand from the steering wheel and touched two fingers beneath Rory's chin to turn his head toward him. "I'll see you tomorrow."

Rory blushed lightly and whispered his reply. "See you..."

He made to get out of the truck, but Sam reached across to stop him, shaking his head. He brought his hand back to Rory's face and held his head still as he leaned forward and kissed him, softly at first but growing more insistent. His tongue flicked lightly at Rory's full bottom lip, making him moan quietly. He'd never felt anything like it.

Sam pulled back, smiling. "Goodnight, Rory."

The inexperienced Irish boy was beyond flustered. "N-night," he managed to stutter out.

Sam laughed quietly before pressing one last kiss to Rory's lips, just a peck this time.

Rory slammed the truck door and watched it until it disappeared around the corner. He fisted his fingers into his hair and spun around excitedly. He couldn't believe it. It all seemed so surreal. The only constant reminder that his mind hadn't made the whole thing up was the fact that he was wearing Sam's clothes, infused with the smell of his cologne.

The Irish boy all but danced up the sidewalk toward the front door. As he reached for the handle, the door was wrenched open, revealing Brittany bouncing with excitement and anticipation. She reached out and grabbed Rory's hand. She yanked him inside with enough force to unsettle him, nearly sending him sprawling on the floor. She dragged him into her bedroom, nosiness radiating from her. "Okay, tell me everything!"

And so, he did.

After about an hour of regaling Brittany with every single detail of the afternoon, she seemed pleased enough with the account and cheerfully kicked Rory out of her bedroom. "Goodnight, Rory Leprechaun."

Rory chuckled out his goodnight wishes before heading to his own bedroom. He shucked off his jeans and fell into bed. He pulled the fabric of Sam's shirt up to his nose and inhaled deeply, a smile stretching across his face.

He thought over the events of the day and what he had to do tomorrow. He was nervous about performing in front of the glee club, but as long as he had Sam for back-up, he knew everything would be alright.

It took awhile, but eventually, Rory drifted into a peaceful sleep, excited to see what would happen next.


	3. Safe

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter's rating is a bit higher than the rest as it contains sex between two consenting characters above the age of consent.

_Crash_

Rory was sent flying off his feet and into a row of lockers that lined the hallway of McKinley High. He sighed. It was nothing unusual. It happened at least twice a day. The hockey team had gotten so used to Rory giving in to their torment that they'd actually stay to gloat and tease. There was no point fighting back; he was outnumbered.

"Hey, Irish," the taunting started. Rory kept his eyes glued to his lap, determined to make the attempt to ignore them as they towered over where he was sprawled ungracefully on the floor. "Go sprinkle your pixie dust somewhere else." Rory rolled his eyes and hoped they'd move on soon. He knew it was best not to react, not to let them see that their insults hurt. The imposing figures stepped in closer and one of them made a move to reach down and grab Rory's arm. He was going to pull away, but the arm was abruptly halted by a hand wrapped around it.

"Excuse me, but what in the hell do you think you're doing?" Sam's voice was angry. His fingers were so tight around the hockey player's arm that his knuckles were white. The other three players stepped back instinctively, leaving their comrade to fend for himself against a very pissed off Sam Evans. The blonde shot Rory a quick, appraising look to make sure that he was unharmed before turning back to his captive. The Irish boy took the opportunity to scramble to his feet and step behind Sam.

"Here's what's going to happen now," Sam began slowly, his voice low and dark. "You're going to leave Rory alone, because you and I both know that I could kick your ass with one hand tied behind my back, and from the looks of it," Sam's eyes scanned the other jocks who had skittered away at the first sign of trouble. "You'd be fighting me alone. So, unless you want to lose all the yellow teeth in your mouth, you'll leave him alone." Sam reached back and laced his fingers together with Rory's.

The hockey player's eyes widened at the sight, but he didn't dare say anything. Sam released his grip on the jock causing him to stumble back a few steps before looking around to notice that his friends had abandoned him. Sam gave him a menacing smile as the intimidated boy faltered back a step and tried to walk away with what was left of his dignity. Sam laughed and turned to face Rory.

"You really need to stand up for yourself, Ror."

"I don't like trouble." Rory shrugged. "Plus, I was outnumbered."

"Yeah, you were, weren't you?" Sam muttered. "Anyway, I don't think they'll be bothering you again anytime soon."

A nervous smile lifted the corner of Rory's mouth without touching his eyes.

"What's the matter?" Sam's voice was concerned. He brought his free hand to stroke the pale skin of Rory's cheek.

The Irish boy pointedly dropped his eyes to their intertwined fingers. Sam got the hint.

"Are you worried they're going to pick on you because we're together?"

"No, I'm worried that they're going to pick on _you_ because you're with _me_." Rory's voice was sad. "I'm not exactly Mr. Popularity."

Sam gave a carefree laugh. "I don't care what people think. I'm proud to be with you." As if to prove his point, Sam leaned in and pressed a chaste kiss to Rory's lips, delighting in the way he felt them turn up into a smile against his own.

"So," Sam steered the conversation to a lighter topic. "Are you ready to go try out for glee club?"

"No," Rory laughed. "But, I guess I have to."

"You'll be amazing, because you _are_ amazing." Sam's voice was colored with fondness and confidence. Rory's cheeks flushed at the compliment.

"Thank you, Sam." His smile was apparent in his voice.

Rory's heart fluttered nervously as Sam dragged him into the choir room, announcing boisterously that Rory was about to audition. All eyes in the room flickered to their intertwined hands. Sam either didn't notice or didn't care. He was too excited to see Rory's big moment. He kissed the back of Rory's hand before pulling away to retrieve his guitar from its case.

Mr. Schuester stepped forward and told Rory to introduce himself.

"Umm..." Rory wasn't sure what to say about himself. He'd never found himself particularly interesting, so he decided to stick to the basics. "My name is Rory Flanagan. I'm an exchange student from Ireland, and I've been staying at the home of Brittany S. Pierce. Sam helped me put together a song to audition with, so..." he trailed off. Curious eyes darted between the Irish boy and Sam, clearly trying to make sense of what they had seen earlier. "Here I am." He finished lamely, gesturing to where he stood. He wondered if he looked and sounded as awkward as he felt.

Sam walked up behind him, still smiling, and gave him a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder. "Ready?" he asked, adjusting his guitar strap. Rory nodded, deciding he'd better start before he lost his nerve. Sam started strumming the opening notes of _Hallelujah_ _._

Rory sighed deeply and began.

The words of the song fell from his lips smoothly as though it was tailored for him alone. As he had while he'd practiced with Sam, Rory slipped into his own world as he sang. His eyes had fluttered closed, and his body began to sway gently with the music. The room around him disappeared. Nothing mattered except the way the notes played by Sam's fingers resonated through his body. The sound of music playing reminded him of home, reminded him of watching his mother humming quietly in their kitchen as she cooked or the way his little brother would climb into his bed and curl against his side during a thunderstorm and he'd sing to him softly until he drifted off to sleep.

By the time the song drifted to its somber close, there wasn't a dry eye in the room. Rory's eyes scanned the room to see everyone sitting in awed silence, Artie's mouth hanging open in shock.

Rachel was the first to break the silence, lifting herself slowly from the chair to walk over and shake Rory's hand. "That was amazing, Rory."

The Irish boy smiled widely, but Sam was the one who answered. "I've never heard anyone sing like that. He's better than amazing." The blonde seemed more excited by the group's reaction than Rory did. He loved how welcoming the group was toward his boyfriend. It helped Sam breathe easier knowing that Rory found a place where he fit in. Everyone had come down to welcome Rory with hugs and handshakes. The Irish boy's eyes finally met Sam's, and they were alight, sparkling with excitement. Sam just mouthed: "Told you so." Rory beamed in response.

* * *

Rory found himself getting closer to his friends in the glee club every day. The bullying had all but stopped since Sam put his foot down, and Rory's life could not possibly have been better. Each night before bed, he said a quiet but fervent prayer of thanks. He'd never expected that his life could be filled with so much happiness and acceptance. He had friends, good grades, and the best boyfriend anyone could ever ask for.

Rory would shake his head incredulously every time he'd watch Sam sing or laugh or smile, unsure of what he ever could have done to deserve someone as amazing as Sam. They'd been all but inseparable since their first kiss. Even after curfew, Sam would sneak back in through Rory's window and lie with him until he fell asleep. He'd kiss Rory softly on his sleeping lips before stealing out the window, and there was never a morning that Rory didn't wake up to a 'Good Morning' text message.

They'd spend their days together in school, exchanging sweet little folded notes when they'd pass in the hallway. Sam had insisted about two weeks after they started officially dating, that he take Rory out for a formal date. They'd gone to dinner and a movie, but spent the entire evening laughing and kissing. They didn't even remember the name of the movie they'd gone to see, because they'd spent so little time actually watching it.

They'd gone on dates since, but they usually just involved taking little walks through the park or watching the sunset and talking about their lives.

Two months had passed before Rory had even realized it.

Sam was cuddled in bed with Rory's head on his chest, fingers idly carding through the Irish boy's hair. A contented hum escaped Rory, and he nuzzled closer still. The moment was so intimate that when Sam spoke, his voice was no higher than a hushed whisper.

"I love you," he said plainly.

Rory's heart skipped a beat as Sam spoke the words for the first time. A smile broke across the Irish boy's face. "I love you, too."

It was a simple declaration, but it couldn't have been more perfect. It was like their love: pure and simple and easy.

Sam dropped his hand from Rory's hair to ghost his fingers along his shoulder blade. Rory had never felt more connected to another human being in his life. When he was in Sam's arms, he felt safe and calm. He was in love with his best friend, and by some act of God, Sam loved him back. Rory tipped his head backward and stretch so he could reach Sam's lips.

It felt as though there was a bubble around the two lovers that the outside world couldn't penetrate. Sam hooked his arm under Rory's and pulled the boy so that he could access his lips more easily, more comfortably. He twisted their legs together as he deepened the kiss, flicking his tongue along Rory's bottom lip in the way that made the Irish boy's knees go weak. A moan slid from Rory's throat, vibrating against Sam's full lips. Rory's lips parted slightly, so Sam took the opportunity to slide his tongue inside. Rory whimpered quietly and pressed himself closer to Sam.

The blonde pushed lightly on Rory's shoulder to lay him flat before rolling over to position himself on top of Rory, kissing his way down the boy's neck. Rory squirmed a little underneath him, quiet sounds pouring from his lips. Sam slid his hands down his boyfriend's body, hooking his fingers at the hem of Rory's shirt.

"Arms up," Sam prompted in a husky whisper. Rory obliged, and Sam lifted his shirt off. Sam trailed his fingers along the smooth skin of Rory's chest before removing his own shirt. Rory leaned forward and peppered kisses against Sam's toned chest before falling back onto his pillow. He loved when Sam kissed him like this, passionate and needy. His lips trailed across Rory's chest and flat stomach, tongue flicking at his prominent hipbones, eliciting a shaky moan from the boy, before kissing his way back up to Rory's lips.

Sam ground his hips into Rory's, and a deep, husky growl came from deep inside the Irish boy. He could feel Rory straining against his pajama bottoms, a firm bulge beginning to tent the fabric. Sam rolled his hips again, but this time a more needy whimpering sound slipped out. Sam groaned with want at the sound. Rory was never this unguarded with his sounds. He usually made it a point to try and be as quiet as possible, so Sam took advantage of the situation. Their hands roamed all over each other's bodies as their lips moved urgently together. Rory broke the kiss, panting.

"Sam," his voice was breathless, and Sam could see the blush coloring his cheeks even with nothing but moonlight illuminating the room.

"Hmm?" Sam answered, busying his lips with the skin of Rory's neck.

"Remember when we talked about..." The words were interrupted by a whimper, but he tried again. "When we talked about sex?"

"Yeah," Sam pulled back to meet Rory's eyes. "You said you weren't ready yet. I'm sorry. I'm not trying to pressure you." Sam's voice was repentant. He made a move to attempt to distance himself from Rory, but a hand on his shoulder stopped him.

"No, you're not pressuring me." He leaned up to kiss Sam reassuringly. "What I meant was, I think I'm ready."

"Baby, you don't have to be ready now," Sam said comfortingly. "I don't want you to regret this. I told you about my first time."

"Yes, you did. But this is different. I love you, and I know I won't regret it. I would regret it if you _weren_ _'_ _t_ my first, Sam."

The blonde smiled and leaned down to kiss his boyfriend. "I love you too, Rory. I'm not good at all the romantic stuff like you are, but," Sam's voice was suddenly filled with emotion. "I wish that you would have been my first, because I would rather have given my virginity to you than some girl I barely knew."

"I know, Sam," Rory whispered, running a hand through Sam's messy hair.

"But, more than that," Sam steeled himself. He'd never let his guard down around anyone, but he felt the urge to pour his feelings out to Rory, to be completely vulnerable at his hands. "I love you more than I've ever loved anyone. I want to keep you safe, and happy, and warm. You make me want to be a better person so that I can feel as though I deserve you," Sam sighed. Rory stroked his face lovingly as he spoke.

"I know how hard it was for you when you first got here, and it kills me to know that you've been through that. When I saw those hockey kids screwing with you, all I wanted to do was hit them and pull you in my arms and promise that I'd never let you be hurt again." Sam swallowed thickly, and Rory leaned up to press a soft kiss against his lips. Sam's voice broke. "I just love you so much."

"I love you too, Sam. That's why I want this. I want to give myself to you. I want to _belong_ to you." Rory whispered against his boyfriend's lips. His voice dropped lower, huskier. "I want to feel you inside me."

A shudder rippled through Sam's body at the words. " _Oh_ _God_ _,_ _Rory_." The blonde's lips were suddenly insistent against Rory's. The fire inside them had ebbed, no longer the rampant wildfire. It was now smoldering embers, red-hot just beneath the surface. There was more time now. More time for their hands to explore. More time for their lips to find places they'd never kissed before.

Sam lightly nipped at the sensitive skin near the base of Rory's neck and a low moan slipped from his lips, his hips arching off the bed, creating friction against the strained front of Sam's jeans.

"Sam," The word came out as a breathy moan as his hips lifted again as the blonde began kissing his way down Rory's body, stopping at the waistband of his pajama pants. He lifted his eyes to meet Rory's. The Irish boy nodded in agreement to the unspoken request, and Sam slipped his hand underneath the elastic and slid them off, completely exposing Rory to him for the very first time. He kissing the newly bared skin of Rory's stomach. He tossed the pants aside and pulled himself up to kiss Rory's lips.

"So beautiful," he whispered against the boy's lips. Rory whimpered at the new vulnerability.

Rory busied himself with trying to undo the button of Sam's pants, finally succeeding after awkwardly fumbling for a moment. Sam broke the kiss and slid off his pants and underwear in one fluid motion. Rory watched as the moonlight played on Sam's naked skin, the way the pale light accentuated the shadows between the valleys of the muscles of his stomach. The blonde stretched out on top of his boyfriend again, gasping at the feeling of the friction against the newly exposed skin.

"Can I touch you?" Sam asked quietly. Rory nodded quickly, leaning forward to continue their kiss. Sam slid his fingers lightly down Rory's chest and stomach before running his fingers along Rory's length. A high, needy whine slipped past Rory's lips as he arched into the touch. Sam couldn't bear to tease him, so he wrapped his guitar calloused hand around the entire thickness and began to fist it slowly.

Rory moaned loudly and breathlessly mumbled Sam's name against his lips as another low whine escaped. Sam stretched his hand open in order to accommodate his own need as well and continued to pump slowly. Rory mewled as the electric friction zinged through his body.

"Oh, Sam," he whined. "More...please..." Rory squirmed needily, burying his face into Sam's neck and sucking lightly on the skin. Sam moaned quietly and opened his hand.

The Irish boy whimpered quietly at the loss of contact.

"It's okay," Sam promised. "I want to try something."

Rory's voice came out as a subdued squeak. "'Kay."

Sam rolled off his boyfriend and slid down between Rory's knees, sliding his hands along the boy's thighs, massaging the tense muscles there, before wrapping a hand once more around his needy girth, sliding his thumb over the head to collect the glistening drop of liquid pooled there, before dropping his mouth to kiss up Rory's thighs, stopping just shy of where Rory desperately wanted his mouth to be. Sam took a deep breath through his nose and flicked his tongue along the head. Rory cried out Sam's name brokenly, spurring him to continue. Sam wrapped his lips around him and began sucking, hand pumping the extra length he couldn't take yet. His hand and mouth soon found a rhythm, and Sam had to put a restraining hand on Rory's hips to prevent him from bucking upward and forcing in more than Sam could handle.

Broken moans, pleas, and whimpers poured out of the boy's lithe body. "P-please, Sam..." he stuttered out breathlessly. "So..close..." He squirmed again. Sam pulled away, considering the logistics for the first time.

"Um, Rory," he asked, wiping a hand across his mouth. "Do you have a condom?"

Rory nodded, unable to find his voice and pointed to his nightstand. Sam gathered the supplies, a condom and the bottle of KY hidden way in the back of the drawer, and slid back over to kiss his boyfriend. Rory fisted his hands into Sam's hair, pulling him roughly into the kiss. Sam groaned and dug his hips into Rory's as he reached to pick up the condom. Rory's hand flashed out to stop him.

"What are you...?" Sam questioned.

"Um...can I do it?"

Another shudder wracked Sam's body. He loved how unfiltered Rory was. He nodded and rolled to his back. Rory kissed along his chest and stomach, tongue flicking over the well-defined muscles of his abs. Rory was too far gone to take things slowly, so he quickly grabbed Sam's shaft and swirled his tongue around the slit, gathering the bead of liquid onto his tongue, before wrapping his lips around its thickness and taking as much as he could.

Sam moaned loudly and had to remind himself that Rory was brand new to this. He felt his hips shaking under the desire to thrust upward into the heat of his boyfriend's mouth. What Rory lacked in technique, he made up for in enthusiasm. He dragged his tongue along the underside as he sucked, tongue lathing the head as he reached the tip.

Sam knew that he needed to slow down or else he wouldn't last, but the blonde couldn't bring himself to make Rory stop. Finally, he felt the heat in his stomach threaten to take him under, and had to intervene.

"Baby," he said, his voice low and rough with need. "That feels amazing, but you have to stop. I'm close."

"Oh," Rory said quickly, a look of smug satisfaction crossing his features. He placed a quick kiss on the head before rolling the condom over the length. Sam pulled his boyfriend back upward and crashed their lips together. He moaned into Rory's mouth as he tasted himself on his boyfriend's lips.

He slid his hand across Rory's shoulder blade before rolling the boy onto his back and repositioning himself between the boy's legs.

"Okay," Sam began. "I'm sorta new to this too, so you have to tell me if I hurt you or if I do something right, okay?"

"Alright," Rory whispered, shifting his hips slightly as Sam spread his legs further apart. The blonde reached for the bottle of lube and coated his finger quickly before taking a deep breath and pressing it insistently against Rory's hole. "Relax," he instructed.

Rory gasped as he felt the finger slip past the ring of muscle and begin to slide inside of him. Sam worked the digit back and forth and Rory could feel himself being stretched as Sam slid a second finger inside. This time, Rory felt the burn of being stretched. "Breathe, Rory," Sam reminded him, and he let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. He willed himself to relax around the fingers twisting around inside of him. Soon, the burn gave way to a pleasurable feeling of fluttering inside his stomach until Sam's fingers twisted just so, and Rory cried out.

"Did I hurt you?" Sam asked nervously. Rory ignored the question.

"Again? Can-Can you do that again?" His voice was shaky and breathless.

"What? This?" Sam repeated the thrust of his hand, and Rory was keening, his body was trembling. Sam dragged himself up so that he could lie his head closer to Rory's. He pulled Rory a bit closer so that he could kiss him, their lips sliding together in a passionate, loving way. Sam flicked his tongue against Rory's bottom lip making a whispered moan slip out of the Irish boy.

Sam continued to work his fingers inside of Rory, kissing the boy's lips as he stretched him. The blonde swallowed the little hisses of discomfort that came from his boyfriend when he had to scissor his fingers in order to get him ready to take more. He took special care to twist his fingers in the way that made Rory melt beneath him.

He leaned down and began kissing Rory's chest, pausing to flick his tongue at his sensitive, pebbled nipples. Rory's body arched off the mattress as Sam sucked at one of the buds lightly as he stroked his fingers along the other. He could feel the boy completely coming undone under his hands.

Sam reached around and started pumping Rory with his free hand as he added a third finger. Rory hissed at the return of the burning, but acclimated quickly and soon found himself rolling his hips against the invading fingers.

The blonde lifted his head to surge their lips together as he stretched him further. The little hisses of pain slowly grew less frequent, and Sam kissed all along the boy's neck, lips, jaw, and chest as he thrust his fingers inside him, quiet pleas of _more_ poured from Rory's mouth.

"Sam," he pleaded, totally wrecked. "Take me. Please, Sam."

Finally, Sam obliged. He slid his fingers out leaned up to kiss Rory's lips, cherry red and bruised from overuse. He positioned himself over Rory and kissed him softly, less urgency more emotion. Sam tried to convey all of his feelings into the kiss: how he felt about seeing Rory so unguarded, how much he loved him, his longing to protect him, the longing to take care of him, the longing to make him feel loved and beautiful.

"You are the most beautiful person I've ever known, Rory. I love you so much."

"I love you too, Sam." Nervousness had crept into Rory's voice, and Sam pressed his lips to Rory's again in hopes of calming him. It worked, he felt Rory relax into the kiss.

Rory tried to focus on the way Sam's lips felt as they moved against his own, warm and soft, as he felt Sam pressing against his opening, but he felt himself tense again.

Sam stroked his hair and whispered softly into his ear that he needed to just relax and breathe. He pressed their lips together and Sam swallowed the moan that escaped Rory as he began to slowly slip inside him.

Rory cried out quietly as he felt himself be stretched further than he thought possible to accommodate Sam's girth. "I'm sorry, baby," Sam promised insistently. He continued the mantra with every sound of discomfort that Rory made until he was fully sheathed inside him.

Rory felt Sam's hips shaking as he held still to let the virgin get used to the feeling of being stretched. Everything in Sam's body screamed at him to move. He wanted to feel Rory's walls squeezing around him as he fell into a rhythm that would quickly push him over the edge, because Rory felt _so_ _fucking_ _good_. His care for the other boy won out over his selfish need, and he held still as a statue to let Rory's body accommodate.

The pain was ebbing quickly. He felt the pain giving way to a surreal feeling fullness which should have felt foreign but instead made him feel as though he was finally whole; Sam was inside of him. They fit together in all the right ways. Rory felt vindicated by the thought. He felt his insides gripping Sam as he stayed motionless inside him.

"Kiss me," Rory whispered roughly. Sam quickly obliged, his hips shifted slightly at the movement. Rory cried out as he felt Sam brush against that spot inside of him again.

"Are you alright...?" Sam was concerned.

"M-move." The word came out in a broken breath.

Sam pulled back slowly before rolling his hips forward. Rory's head fell back against the pillow as a curse Sam had never heard him use before fell from his lips. Sam began a slow, rocking rhythm, taking special care to brush against the spot that made Rory fall apart.

Hearing Rory completely come undone was the single sexiest thing Sam had ever witnessed. It was as though Rory was in his own world as he felt Sam thrusting into his body. Whimpers, moans, and pleas fell heavily from his mouth. Even when Sam was kissing him, Rory was begging against his lips. There was no denying that Rory was loud during sex, but Sam couldn't bring himself to remind him to be quiet. He was pretty sure he could get off from just listening to Rory and the way the pleas and wanton begging sounded in his soft voice, his accent still clearly discernible through his moaning.

"Oh god, Sam..." he whimpered brokenly, completely wrecked. "I'm so close..."

Rory's mind was reeling. All he could hear, see, taste, smell, or touch was Sam. He felt Sam sliding against his inner walls. It all felt so perfect, so natural, and _oh_ _so_ _amazing_ _._ He was so close to the edge, and Sam's hips rocked against his own in the most delicious way. He felt full, and connected, and warm, and safe. He felt his release building deep inside his bones and knew he wasn't going to last much longer.

Sam stared down at his boyfriend's beautiful face, flushed a deep shade of pink and coated with a light sheen of sweat. He brought a hand to brush the hair from where it had fallen on the boy's forehead before pressing their lips together again. "Please, Sam, right there...don't stop. I'm gonna...oh..." Sam rolled hips quickly, their rhythm relentless. Rory squirmed beneath him, small sounds still slipping out.

Rory let out a moan that sounded almost like a choked sob, and Sam leaned down to press his lips against Rory's. The Irish boy lost it. " _Oh my god, Sam_. I'm...oh...I love you so much..." The words came out in a desperate, insistent rush before Rory cried out loudly, gasping out a moan as his release crashed over him. Sam looked down to see that Rory hadn't even touched himself, his release was pulsing out across his stomach, his shaft twitching and quivering. Rory's eyes were closed and he was whimpering quietly, obviously still riding the waves of his orgasm.

That was when it became too much for Sam, he cried out quietly and thrust deeper inside Rory, as the boy's body contracted around him, milking him for every last drop. He collapsed on top of Rory, claiming his lips as they both drifted down from their high, panting and whispering little declarations of love until they were capable of actually forming a thought.

Rory spoke first. His voice panting and breathless. "That was _amazing_!"

Sam just laughed quietly in agreement, kissing Rory again. The passion and urgency had evaporated from their kisses until they were just loving and relaxed.

The sensation began to be too much for Sam, and he had to pull out of Rory. The Irish boy whined at the sudden emptiness that now felt more foreign than feeling full. Sam quickly ran to the adjoining bathroom and got a cloth. He cleaned himself off and returned to the bed to quickly clean Rory up, kissing him as he did so. He tossed the cloth in the general direction of the bathroom and collapsed on the bed next to Rory, pulling him into his arms.

Rory cuddled into Sam's side, resting his head on the blonde's chest and sighing deeply. "I love you, Sam."

"I love you too, baby." Sam pressed a kiss into Rory's hair.

Rory's eyes fluttered closed and his breathing evened out. Before long, he was snoring softly, nuzzling his cheek against Sam's skin as he slept. The blonde couldn't bring himself to leave. He knew he should go back to where he was staying at Finn's house, but there was something about holding a naked and relaxed Rory in his arms that was just too appealing to leave. They were alone in the house now anyway. Being Friday, Brittany was with Santana, and her parents were spending their anniversary in their lake house.

He stretched his arm out to set the alarm on his phone to wake him up at six o'clock before bringing the arm to wrap around Rory's shoulder to pull him closer. He drifted very quickly into a very peaceful sleep, feeling more content than he'd ever felt before.

* * *

The sunlight streamed in through his bedside window as Rory's eyes fluttered open. He remembered waking up to Sam bustling around his bedroom earlier that morning as he got ready to sneak back home. He had smiled as he watched Sam slide his underwear back on, looking torn between going home so that he wouldn't get in trouble, and just climbing back into bed with Rory. He hadn't seen Rory watching him. The Irish boy just observed in reverent silence as Sam moved quietly around the small bedroom. He'd fallen back asleep before Sam had left, feeling too peaceful and content in the moment to move.

Sam had grabbed pen off Rory's desk and scribbled quickly on a steno pad before placing the note inside the sleeping boy's hand, kissing his fingers as he folded them around the little slip of paper. The blonde kissed Rory lightly on the lips before letting himself out through the window.

Rory relaxed his hand against the pillow, fingers stretching open to reveal a small, crinkled piece of paper. A smile spread across his face as he rubbed his eyes with his free hand and opened the note.

_Rory_ _,_

_I_ _was_ _going_ _to_ _wake_ _you_ _up_ _to_ _kiss_ _you_ _goodbye_ _,_ _but_ _you_ _looked_ _so_ _beautiful_ _as_ _you_ _slept_ _that_ _I_ _couldn_ _'_ _t_ _do_ _it_ _._ _I_ _wanted_ _to_ _be_ _there_ _when_ _you_ _woke_ _up_ _,_ _but_ _I_ _had_ _to_ _get_ _home_ _._ _I_ _love_ _you_ _so_ _much_ _._ _Call_ _me_ _when_ _you_ _wake_ _up_ _._

_Love_ _,_ _Sam_ _._

He folded the note back up and set it on his nightstand, an adoring smile crossing his face. Rory stretched his limbs out experimentally. He felt a little sore in the best possible way. He threw his legs over the side of the bed and made his way to his bathroom for a shower.

The hot water felt good on Rory's stiff muscles, so he stayed under the spray for a bit longer than usual, finally resigning himself to getting out when the water began to run cold. He wrapped a towel around his waist and walked back into his bedroom only to find Brittany stretched out across his bed.

This was not an unusual occurrence. Rory was well used to Brittany barging in whenever she felt like it. She'd fallen into a habit of entering the room without knocking, and because of this, she had seen him wearing much less than a towel. The fact that reclined on his bed didn't cause him any concern. It was the sly, knowing expression that had him worried.

"So," she teased. "Have fun last night?"

Rory's cheeks flushed crimson. "What do you mean?"

The blonde lifted her right hand to show a piece of paper, Sam's note, held between two fingers.

"Oh, yeah...that," Rory said lamely.

Brittany waited with a knowing expression on her face. Rory knew he was caught. "I don't understand. I thought you were staying with Santana...?"

"I did, but I had to come home because I had to give Lord Tubbington his medicine. I have to do it in the morning, because he's busy for the rest of the day," Brittany said matter-of-factly before continuing. "And then I saw Sam sneaking out of your window," she giggled. "I came in to ask what was going on, but then I found this." She held up the note again, and Rory flushed darker. His pale skin flamed with embarrassment.

Rory excused himself momentarily to slip back into the bathroom to put some clothes on. If Brittany was going to interrogate him, he at least didn't want to be only wearing a towel. He sighed and walked back into his bedroom, dropping cross-legged onto his bed. Brittany raised an eyebrow prompting him to begin.

He told her how it all started with Sam saying that he loved him. He began slowly, but soon all the words were coming out in an animated rush. The blonde's eyes lit up as she delighted in Rory's happiness. She grimaced as he described the initial pain, her features relaxing into a smile as he continued on to explain how Sam had taken extra care just to make sure he was okay. He told her all about how amazing it felt to be connected to another person in _that_ way.

Brittany reached out and took Rory's hand, linking their fingers together, smiling. "I'm so happy for you, Rory Leprechaun."

Rory beamed and squeezed her hand lightly. "Thank you, Brittany. I never thought I could be lucky enough to be this happy. And, I have the best friend anyone could ever have." He leaned forward and kissed her cheek. "Even if she is the nosiest person I've ever met." His tone took all the sting out of the words.

Brittany giggled in response and pulled Rory down beside her. The friends relaxed on the bed laughing and talking about nothing in particular until they were interrupted by the sound of Brittany's parents returning.

"Kids, we're home," Mr. Pierce announced.

The two bounded out of Rory's bedroom, laughing quietly, pinkies linked.

"So," Mrs. Pierce asked after all the bags were inside. "What did you two do while we were gone?"

Rory and Brittany exchanged a conspiratorial smile before answering unison. "Nothing."


	4. Family

Sam wasn't sure when the realization had actually hit him. He'd been in such a rush to get back home before Burt or Carole woke up, that he'd barely had time to think about what had happened. The minute he'd snuck back inside, he'd quickly undressed and threw himself into his bed, kicking around the sheets to give the illusion that he'd been sleeping there all night. He was still so tired from the night before that he was asleep before his head hit the pillow.

The sound of heavy footsteps stomping up the stairs finally woke him up. Sam groaned and buried his face in the pillow. The easily recognizable footsteps belonged to Finn who, as usual, walked with all the grace of a stampeding elephant herd. Sam closed his eyes and prayed that Finn would just go away, but his prayers were ignored.

_Bang_ _!_ _Bang_ _!_ _Bang_ _!_

Sam almost jumped out of his skin at the jarring sound that cut through the tranquility of the morning. His arm flew out and knocked his pillow to the floor.

"Dude, are you awake?" Finn asked.

The blonde threw himself out of bed and wrenched open the door. "Jesus, Finn, were you trying to break the door down or give me a freaking heart attack?"

Finn took an immediate step back, a sheepish expression settling on his face. "Sorry," he mumbled, dropping his eyes to his feet. "It was getting sorta late, and I wanted to make sure you weren't like, dead or something."

"Nah, I'm fine. I just..." Sam broke off, a smile suddenly pulling up the corners of his mouth. "Uh, I had a late night, last night." Finn raised an eyebrow questioningly, his face showing no signs of understanding the double meaning in Sam's words.

"Were you doing homework?" he asked lamely.

"Um...not exactly. Can I get by, I need to take a shower," Sam said, taking the opportunity to make a hasty retreat before realization hit Finn.

The sound of the water rushing out of the shower head filled the tiny bathroom, as the steam from the hot water began to cloud around. Sam slipped off his underwear and stepped in the tub. He let the hot water crash down against his tired muscles. In the warmth of the shower, he thought back to what had happened. He could almost feel Rory's fingers still wrapped tightly around his bicep as though his grip on Sam was the only thing anchoring him down to the Earth. He could still hear Rory's needy sounds echoing in his ears: the quiet, pleading whine that begged for more, the wrecked cry of when it all became too much, soft, panting breaths punctuated by whisper quiet whimpers as he came down from the high, and the contented hum that slipped past his lips as he curled into Sam's side, totally sated.

In a way, Sam thought, it was as if Rory wasn't the only one who had lost his virginity last night. He had never opened himself up to anyone the way he had for Rory. He let all his walls come down and just laid himself bare to his boyfriend. Sam smiled at the thought. He had spent every minute of last year trying to be strong for his family, never showing how devastated he really was. He had to be there for his younger siblings. There was no way he could ever show his vulnerability around them. The idea of letting anyone else see that side of him was cringe worthy, but something about letting Rory in on the secret that Sam Evans had feelings and emotions felt perfect.

Sam was smiling as he opened the bathroom door and stepped into the small hallway. He took a step and stumbled over a box marked "Christmas". Sam stared down at the offending box with a confused expression. He hadn't even realized that it was almost Christmas. He supposed that he had known that it was December because of all the commercials for toy stores and jewelers, but he hadn't put two and two together. He shifted the box out of the way and walked back to his bedroom to retrieve his cell phone.

Sam dialed the number quickly and threw himself down onto his bed. The phone connected and Sam could hear the sound of a playful struggle. _"_ _No_ _._ _I_ _swear_ _,_ _if_ _you_ _don_ _'_ _t_ _give_ _it_ _back_ _..._ _Ouch_ _!_ _Don_ _'_ _t_ _hit_ _me_ _."_ The blonde laughed as someone finally answered. Brittany had apparently wrestled the phone from Rory's hands.

"Hello, Sam," Brittany teased. Sam heard Rory grumbling in the background.  
"Hello, Brittany. How are you today?"  
She giggled at his formality. "Fiiiine," she drawled. Sam could almost see her staring at Rory teasingly as she spoke. "Can I help you?"  
"No, but Rory can. May I talk to my boyfriend, please?"  
"Hang on, let me see if he's available." The sound of laughter rang out on the other end of the phone, and Rory was still chuckling as he reclaimed his cell phone.

"Hey, Sammy," Rory said brightly. Sam felt his heart flutter at the excitement in Rory's voice.  
"Hey," he answered back. "What are you doing today?"  
"I don't think I'm doing anything. Hang on, let me check." Sam could hear Rory asking Brittany about their plans for the day. She launched into an answer, but Sam couldn't quite make it out. When Rory came back, his voice was a little sad.

"What's the matter?"  
"Oh, Brittany and her family are going away for Christmas. I'm going to be home alone."  
"What? I thought you were going home for Christmas?" Sam hadn't been particularly happy about that idea.  
"My mammy called earlier this morning to tell me that she couldn't afford to fly me home on such short notice."

Sam could hear the disappointment that was thick in Rory's voice. "I'm sorry, Rory." Sam paused, unsure of what to say to comfort him. Suddenly, an idea struck him. "Hey, I've got an idea. Let me call you right back, okay?" Sam asked excitedly.  
"Okay," Rory answered, confusion coloring his disappointed tone.  
"I love you."  
"I love you, too, Sammy."

The blonde disconnected the call and quickly dialed a different number.  
"Sammy?" Sam's little sister answered the phone, her voice bouncing with excitement.  
"Hey, Stacy! Is mom or dad around? I need to talk to them, please."  
"Yep! Daddy's right here. Here ya go, Sammy."

The phone changed hands quickly. Sam smiled at his sister's enthusiasm. He missed his siblings more than anything.

"Hello?"  
"Hey, dad. I was wondering if I could bring a friend home for Christmas. He's a foreign exchange student, and he doesn't get to go home for the holidays. He's pretty upset about it. He'd have to spend his first Christmas in America all alone." Sam tried to lay it on thick in hopes of guilting his father into agreeing.  
"Yeah, I don't see why not," his father replied easily. "He must be a good friend for you to offer to bring him here for two whole weeks."

Sam laughed nervously. "Yeah. We're very close. He's my best friend in a lot of ways."

He knew that his parents would be okay with the fact that they were dating, but this sort of bombshell wasn't something that should be dropped over the phone. He'd never been in a relationship with someone of the same sex before, and he wanted to tread carefully.

"Well, your mother and I look forward to meeting him."  
"You'll love him. He's awesome." _Awesome_ hadn't been Sam's first choice for a description, but he wanted to make sure he didn't overplay his hand. "I can't wait to see you guys."  
"Your brother and sister are going crazy. They miss you so much. I wish you weren't so far away."  
"I know, dad. I miss all of you, too. I'll call you later tonight, okay? I have to call Rory and tell him that he doesn't have to sit home alone on Christmas babysitting Brittany's cat."

Sam's father laughed and they said their goodbyes.

Sam smiled widely as he typed out a text message to Rory. _"_ _Guess_ _who_ _'_ _s_ _spending_ _his_ _first_ _Christmas_ _in_ _America_ _with_ _his_ _boyfriend_ _'_ _s_ _family_ _?"_

The last week of school before winter break passed very quickly. Sam, having not realized that it was even _close_ to Christmas, had to spend most of his free time doing last minute shopping. He only got to spend one day with Rory since their big night together, and he'd been so exhausted that he'd fallen asleep against Rory's side as they watched a movie.

Rory held him, letting him sleep. He'd looked so tired that he couldn't bring himself to wake him up when it was time for him to go back home. Rory fished Sam's phone out of his pocket and quickly dialed Finn's phone number.

"Hello?"  
"Hello, Finn Hudson."  
Finn chucked quietly. "Hey, Rory. Why are you calling from Sam's phone?"  
"I need a favor. Sam is asleep right now. He was knackered when he showed up here, and he fell asleep. Even if I woke him up, I wouldn't want him driving. Do you think you could ask Mr. Hummel if Sam could sleep here tonight?" Rory's voice was hushed.  
"Sure, dude. Hang on."

There was silence on the other end of the phone for a few moments before Finn returned. "He said that would be fine."

"Thank you. I'll talk to you later."  
"No problem. Goodnight."  
"Goodnight."

Smiling, Rory set Sam's phone on the nightstand and shimmied out from underneath him. Brittany and her parents were already gone, and he hadn't been too keen on spending the night in an empty house. He was glad that Sam was going to be there with him. He stood up to slide off his jeans and Sam stirred, awake. He sat bolt upright in Rory's bed, rubbing his bleary eyes. "Shit! I'm going to miss my curfew," he mumbled.

Rory eased down in bed beside him. "No, you're not. I called Mr. Hummel and told him you were asleep. He said you could stay here tonight. Go back to sleep, Sammy." Rory kissed the tip of his nose lovingly. A sleepy smile spread across Sam's face as he wrapped his arms around his boyfriend.

The Irish boy rested his head against Sam's shoulder and kissed his neck lightly before whispering. "Lay down, Sam. We've got a long drive tomorrow."

Sam didn't even think about arguing. He settled back down against the mattress, letting Rory pull off his pants and cover him with blankets. The Irish boy slid underneath the covers and Sam wrapped his arm around his shoulders to pull him close. Rory sighed as he rested his head against Sam's strong chest.

Rory had a question on his mind all day, and he finally got the nerve to ask Sam. "Sammy, do your parents know about us?" After an extended moment of silence, Rory looked up toward Sam's face to make sure he hadn't actually fallen asleep. His face was deep in thought, his teeth worrying his full bottom lip. "Sam?"

"No. They know that we're really, really close, but they don't know that we're dating."

"Will they be angry?" Rory's voice was worried. His protective instinct fought against anything that would set Sam up to be hurt. If his father's reaction to his own coming out was going to be any indication of how the meeting with Sam's parents was going to go, Rory would rather just ask Sam to stay with him at Brittany's for Christmas instead.

"No," Sam repeated. "They won't be angry. I just didn't want to tell them over the phone. That's something that needs to be done in person. Have you told your parents about us?" Sam asked.

"Yes, I did," Rory's voice was very flat.

"What did they say?" Sam pressed.

"My mammy was fine with it. We've always been very close, but my father didn't take it well."

By Rory's tone, Sam knew for certain that the younger boy was editing out a good deal of the story. He slid his hand up Rory's back and slid his thumb back and forth across the back of his neck in the way that he knew relaxed him. "What happened?"

"It's in the past," Rory said, feigning a dismissive tone in an attempt to mask the emotion in his voice.

"Yeah, _your_ past. I want to know all about your past. Even the bad things." Sam leaned down and kissed the top of Rory's head. Rory sighed deeply.

"Alright, I called my parents a few weeks ago to talk, and my mammy asked if I'd met anyone special. I wasn't going to lie to her, because I love you, and I felt like it would be wrong to lie about my feelings for you. I didn't know my father was listening," he said quietly, twirling the fabric of Sam's shirt nervously between his fingers. "I told her that I had fallen in love with you. I told her all about you. She was just happy that I had found someone. My father took the phone from her and told me in no uncertain terms that I was no longer welcome under his roof." His voice shifted to a whisper. "I think that's the real reason that I couldn't go home for Christmas."

"Why didn't you tell me any of this before now?" Sam's voice was shocked and sad. He instinctively squeezed Rory closer.

"I didn't want you to feel bad for me, or think less of my family," he stated flatly.

"Jesus, Rory. How could he do that to you?" His voice was a mix of sadness and disgust.

"I'm fine, Sam, really. I knew that he was going to react that way, but I wouldn't lie about _us_ _._ Let's not talk about it anymore tonight, Sammy. We're together, and that's what matters. It doesn't matter to me what anyone thinks about us, because I love you, and I'm proud to be with you."

"God I love you, Rory," Sam's voice was thick with emotion. He leaned down to kiss his boyfriend on the lips. He had known that Rory was strong, but he'd never expected him to be capable of handling something like that on his own. "Promise me something. Promise me that when something like that happens, something that bothers you, you'll tell me. Always."

"I promise, Sammy," Rory answered brightly, all traces of sadness gone. He was always cheered up whenever Sam mentioned words like _always_. It reminded him that, while he might be an ocean away from his family, he wasn't alone. He shifted in closer to Sam's side and intertwined their fingers. "I promise."

The four hour ride to Kentucky had been uneventful. They'd held hands and sang along to the radio, but Sam spent most of the time getting Rory mentally prepared for his two rambunctious siblings. The atmosphere in the car was very light. Sam was so eager to see his family that he was almost bouncing off his seat. He chattered excitedly about past Christmases and other family events. Rory sat with a smile as he watched his boyfriend reverting to the age of six. He'd never seen Sam so happy and bubbly.

"They're gonna love you _so_ much, baby," Sam said happily, squeezing Rory's hand, as they pulled into a small driveway. The blonde let the truck idle for a minute as he tried to slow his heart rate. Though he wasn't afraid of his parents judging him, this was still a huge step for him. Rory caught on quickly and gave his hand a reassuring squeeze.

"You don't have to tell them anything until you're ready, Sammy."

Sam smiled back at Rory and kissed him quickly on the nose. "I love you, Rory."

"I love you, too, Sam."

Sam shouldered most of the bags. He refused, point blank, to let Rory carry his own luggage. The Irish boy tried to make himself useful and carried in the Christmas presents they'd brought. Sam wasn't happy about it, but he didn't protest.

The moment they'd made it inside, two waist high blurs streaked across the living room and attached themselves to Sam's legs.  
"Sammy! You're home!" they cried, almost in unison.

"Yep, I'm home. I missed you guys _so_ much!" He dropped down to his knees to hug his siblings properly. "Oh, I want you to meet, Rory."  
"Rory, this is Stevie and Stacy." He gestured to the boy and girl in turn.

The children looked up toward where Rory was hovering over their brother. "Hi," he said. "It's nice to meet you both."

Stacy ducked behind her brother, her face flushing crimson. Stevie threw his hand out toward Rory. He shook the boy's hand, smiling. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Rory."

Sam and Rory laughed at the formality of the young boy's greeting. "It's a pleasure to meet you, too, Stevie."

Stacy leaned toward her brother's ear and whispered something. Sam's face lit up at whatever it was his sister said. "Do you want me to tell him?" Sam asked his sister. She shook her head violently and skittered out of the room, nearly knocking Sam's father off his feet as she blew past him. Stevie chased after his sister, desperate to be in on the secret. Laughter wracked Sam's body, doubling him over. He stood up, holding his stomach as his laughter began to subside.

Sam's father crossed the room and pulled his son in for a hug. "I missed you so much, buddy."

"I missed you, too, dad," Sam replied, returning the hug. He pulled away slightly, and put his hand on Rory's shoulder. "Dad, this is Rory Flanagan."  
"Flanagan," Mr. Evans said, sticking his hand out to shake Rory's. "That's Irish, right?"  
"Yes, sir. Born and raised," he beamed.

Mr. Evans sat in an easy chair and gestured for Rory to take a seat on the couch, and Sam disappeared with their luggage. Rory talked with Sam's father for a few minutes about what life was like back in Ireland before Sam returned, dropping down next to Rory on the couch.

"Where's mom?" Sam asked, glancing around the room.  
"She went to the store for milk. I forgot it when I went earlier."

Sam's father spent the better part of an hour asking Sam question after question about what was happening in Lima and how he was doing in school. Was he still on the football team? Was he still singing in the glee club?

The blonde gave his father the full rundown of his life in Lima, leaving out one central detail. He figured that would be best saved for a time when both of his parents were present. His father asked the question of how the boys had met, and the pair shared a glance before launching, a bit too animatedly, into the story of how they'd become "friends", including details such as practicing for Rory's first solo but glossing over the part about Sam kissing Rory after finishing the song.

It was Sam who heard the car door shutting in the driveway. He threw himself off the couch and ran to the front door, wrenching it open to see his mother. He took the bag from her arm and set it inside the door before throwing his arms around her. Rory watched the scene. In that moment, he didn't see his tough, football player boyfriend. He saw a boy who loved his mother more than life itself. It made him miss home.

Sam gave Rory another introduction. Mrs. Evans crossed the room and pulled Rory in for a hug before pulling away and smiling at him. As he looked into her eyes, he couldn't help but return the smile. Sam had his mother's eyes.

Mrs. Evans excused herself so that she could start dinner.

"May I help?" Rory asked. He loved to cook. He wasn't very good, but it was still something he enjoyed.

"Of course, I can always use an extra hand in the kitchen." Sam's mother stroked her fingers across Rory's cheek. His face lit up in response. "You are absolutely adorable, Rory," she laughed. Sam beamed. The way his family had embraced Rory made his heart swell. Rory followed Sam's mother into the kitchen, leaving Sam and his father to talk until they were called for dinner.

After everyone had finished, Rory stood up to clear the table. Sam watched him with curious eyes before getting up to help him. His parents talked idly while the boys worked. Rory didn't hear the beginning of the conversation, but he turned when he heard his name, as did Sam.

"Oh, I know it _was_ good wasn't it? Rory was the one who made that. He said it was his mother's recipe."

Sam laughed aloud, turning to Rory. "You actually cooked dinner?"

Rory nodded, smiling. Sam wanted to pull his boyfriend into his arms and kiss him, but had to fight against it. _Later_ _,_ he thought.

Everyone migrated from the kitchen to the living room to watch television. Rory slid in next to Sam on the couch, their legs pressed flush together. Stacy had climbed into Sam's lap, playing with his fingers as she watched TV. Rory loved how intimate the small family was. The next time Rory chanced a look at Sam, Stacy was fast asleep against his shoulder. Rory smiled at the sweetness of it all.

"I'd better take her up to bed," Sam whispered, tightening his grip on his little sister as he stood up. Rory quickly stood up to follow him. Sam carried the little girl into a purple bedroom and Rory pulled the blankets down so Sam could lay her down. Their hands met on the blanket and they pulled it up together before stepping back. Sam laced their fingers together.

"She's beautiful, Sam," Rory whispered. "I always wished I had a baby sister."  
"I love her more than anything," Sam said earnestly.  
"I see that."  
"She likes you, too, ya know," Sam said with a hushed laugh. "You know what she said to me when we first got here?"  
"What?" Rory asked, amused.  
"She said, 'Sammy he's the most beautiful man I've ever seen. His voice is so pretty'. I couldn't really argue with her, baby." Sam risked a quick peck on Rory's lips. "That's why she's been so shy around you."

Rory smiled brightly. "That's so sweet." Seeing the little girl sleeping peacefully reminded Rory how tired he was. As Sam led him out of Stacy's bedroom, closing the door behind them, Rory yawned widely. Sam lifted his hand to brush Rory's cheek with his knuckles.

"You look exhausted," he noted.  
"I didn't sleep too well last night. I was worried that your parents wouldn't like me, so I couldn't sleep."  
"Well, come here, I'll show you the way to my room." Sam took Rory's hand and pulled him down the small hallway into a plain bedroom. "I was going to change into my pajamas anyway."

Sam reached for his duffel bag and began digging, pulling out a pair of sleep pants and a t-shirt. Rory looked around, confused. Sam laughed and pointed toward the opposite corner. Rory smiled and walked over to his own bag. Sam had turned around to change his clothes, and when he turned back, he saw what Rory was going to be wearing to bed.

Rory was clad in his boxer shorts and a gray t-shirt emblazoned with the words "McKinley High Athletic Dept.". The shirt hung a little to loosely on his shoulders, not quite filling the shirt out like Sam had, and it was a little long, but the way it looked on Rory made Sam's heart swell. The Irish boy hadn't even realized that Sam was staring, too busy collecting his toothbrush and walking toward the adjoining bathroom. Sam stood, transfixed by the pure beauty in the mundane scene. Its beauty was in its simplicity, the way Rory thought nothing of wearing his boyfriend's clothes. Sam loved how domestic it all felt. It was a moment of clarity when Sam realized that he was looking into his future. An adoring smile spread across his face as he watched Rory brush his teeth before coming back into the bedroom.

Sam crossed the small room and pulled Rory into his arms, kissing him sweetly on the lips. "You're so beautiful, Rory." The younger boy blushed at the compliment.

Rory climbed into bed and Sam kissed him again on the lips.

"I'll be back in a little bit. I want to talk to my parents for a little while before I go to bed."

Rory was too tired to think too hard about Sam's words. "Okay, baby," he mumbled sleepily.

"Goodnight, Rory. I love you."  
"'Night, Sammy. I love you, too."

Sam pressed a soft kiss to his forehead before walking back toward the living room. He was in love with Rory, and he didn't want to keep that a secret from his family any longer. Sam sat down on the couch and looked between his mother and father.

"Mom, dad, we need to talk about something."


	5. Explanations

Sam's parents turned to face their son. Waves of apprehension and anxiety were rolling off him. His mother took his hand.

"What's wrong, sweetie?"

"Nothing's _wrong_ , mom," Sam sighed and steeled himself. "It's about Rory."

Mr. and Mrs. Evans exchanged a knowing look, but let Sam continue. They knew the importance of him actually speaking the words. "Mom, dad, Rory isn't my _friend_ _."_

His mother squeezed his hand and gave him a peaceful smile, but he kept his eyes locked on his father. When his father opened his mouth to speak, Sam let out a breath that he hadn't realized he'd been holding.

"Does he make you happy, Sam?" he asked plainly.

"Yes, sir," Sam answered, smiling sheepishly. "I love him."

"That's all that matters, then, buddy. We just want you to be happy."

Mrs. Evans nodded her agreement. "We love you no matter what, baby. We always have."

"I love you, too." Sam's voice was thick with emotion.

His parents launched into the usual line of questioning.

_How long have you been going out? When did you know that you loved each other?_

Sam happily obliged, answering all of their questions, pouring his heart out to his parents about how much Rory meant to him and how he felt when they were together. His parents laughed as they listened to Sam list all of his favorite things about Rory, his hands gesturing animatedly as he ran through his mental list.

"You sound like you're fourteen again, Sammy," his mother laughed. Sam's face was lit up with pure joy. He had felt so guilty about not telling his parents sooner that all of the pent up excitement over being in love came pouring out. Sam laughed freely at his mother's words.

"I've just _never_ felt this way about anyone before. I love him _so_ much," Sam replied with a smile.

"He's a very, very nice boy, Sammy. I can see that he cares about you every bit as much as you care about him," his mother replied easily; his father nodded in agreement, smiling at his son.

"He's amazing," Sam stated plainly.

Sam's parents shared a smile at their son's enthusiasm. It had been too long since Sam had gotten to just be a teenager. They were grateful to see that their son was finally getting have the normal teenage experience. Rory made their son happier than they'd ever seen him, so they couldn't find any reason in the world to protest. Anything that put the heart-stopping smile they'd missed so much back on Sam's face was in their good graces. It had been so long since they'd gotten to see him truly smile.

After about twenty more minutes of animated chatter about Rory, Sam yawned widely. His parents laughed, because he'd been talking nonstop, that yawn being the first breath they'd seen him take in almost ten minutes. His words had been rushed and excited.

"Baby, I think you need to go to bed," Sam's mother offered, stroking her fingers along his cheek. Sam smiled and nodded, hugging his mother and starting toward his bedroom.

"Sam," his father said, standing up.

"Yes, sir?"

"I'm so proud of you."

Sam turned and walked toward his father. Mr. Evans pulled him in for a hug. "I love you, buddy."

"I love you, too," Sam said thickly.

"Be good to that boy, he loves you."

"Don't worry about that," Sam answered, laughing, "I love him, too, dad."

Sam got inside his bedroom and closed the door. The tranquility of the room washed over him as he watched Rory sleeping peacefully. He smiled and crossed the small room, easing himself into bed beside his boyfriend and gently pulling him into his arms. Rory unconsciously snuggled closer to Sam, his cheek nuzzling against the blonde's chest as he slept. Sam sighed contentedly and buried his nose in Rory's hair, listening to his soft snores and slow, even breathing. Rory's warmth so close and the peaceful sounds slipping past his lips was dragging Sam into unconsciousness quickly.

Before he fell asleep, Sam said a silent prayer of thanks. He was happy beyond his wildest dreams. He had found the love of his life and his parents couldn't have been more supportive. He'd never dreamed he could ever get so lucky. He slid impossibly closer to Rory and drifted peacefully to sleep.

* * *

"Sammy! Sammy, wake up!"

Rory was the first to open his eyes; Stacy was jumping excitedly on their bed. He lifted his head from Sam's chest and shook him slightly. He was a heavy sleeper. A groan escaped Sam's lips, his arm came up to rest over his eyes. He was still half-asleep. Rory laughed quietly.

"Sam, I think your sister wants you out of bed."

"Seems that way," he mumbled.

Rory tried to slide away, but Sam held him close. "Sam..." Rory warned nervously.

"Don't worry about it. We're not hiding anything."

Rory beamed and cuddled back into Sam's side.

"Sammy, mommy wanted me to wake you up for breakfast. You too, Rory," she blushed as she looked toward Rory.

"Thank you, Stacy," Rory said happily. "We'll be right out." He sat up and kissed the little girl on the cheek. Her face flushed crimson and her eyes flew open wide. She flashed her hand to her cheek and started giggling. Sam had to cover his mouth to keep from laughing, and Stacy tore out of the bedroom.

Sam sat up and rested his chin against Rory's shoulder. "Good morning, baby."

"Good morning, Sammy."

The blonde turned his head slightly and pressed a kiss to Rory's neck before sighing contentedly. "I told my parents about us." His voice was breezy.

"You did?" Rory's voice was anxious. "What did they say?"

"They told me be good to you," he laughed. "They adore you, Rory."

Sam kissed his boyfriend on the head quickly before climbing out of bed and heading toward the adjoining bathroom. When he came back, Rory was rifling through his duffel bag.

"Damn," he swore quietly.

"What's the matter?"

"I forgot to pack my pajama pants."

Sam quickly dug through his own bag and tossed a pair of cotton pants toward Rory. "Here ya go. Can't have my family seeing you in your undies."

The blonde watched his boyfriend slip on the pants and readjust his shirt, twisted from sleeping. Sam smiled at the untidiness of Rory's hair. It was sticking up in odd places and was mostly free of the gel that normally held it in order, allowing some of his brown hair to fall across his forehead. Sam loved how Rory looked all the time, but he preferred his "fresh out of bed" look. It was natural, beautiful.

Sam walked over to Rory and wrapped his arms around him, kissing the boy sweetly on the lips. "Ya know," Sam said easily. "I could get used to waking up next to you." He brought their lips back together, feeling the way Rory's turned up in a smile against his own. Rory pulled away slightly.

"I love you, Sam," he said quietly.

"I love you, too, Rory," Sam replied happily. "Come on, let's go get some breakfast."

Rory nodded, his heart fluttering as Sam laced their fingers together and led them toward the door. He was a little nervous. This was the first time he'd be introduced to Sam's family as his boyfriend. His fears were instantly erased as the pair stepped into the kitchen. Sam's mother took in the boy's contact and a bright smile broke across her face.

"Good morning, boys," she beamed. "Food's on the stove."

Sam gestured for Rory to take a seat at the table. "I'll make your plate. Go sit."

They ate slowly, spending more time talking than actually eating. Mr. Evans was intensely curious about what made soccer so popular in Ireland. Rory had laughed before launching into a very animated explanation for why _football_ , Rory had corrected Mr. Evans, was the greatest sport in history, sparking a very spirited debate over whether or not the game should be called football or soccer. The blonde couldn't help but laugh at the bond that had already been forged between Rory and his father. Sam sipped at a cup of coffee slowly, listening to their banter.

There was a comfortable lull in the conversation, when Stacy piped up.

"Rory, are you Sammy's boyfriend?" she asked innocently.

The Irish boy shot a look at Sam, who appeared to be choking on his coffee. The blonde recomposed himself and looked toward his father. He knew that his parents were fine with the relationship, but he wasn't sure how much his father wanted Stacy and Stevie to know. Mr. Evans' face was amused.

"Well," he said, gesturing toward Stacy. "Answer the girl."

Rory smiled, and replied, "Yes, Stacy. I am Sammy's boyfriend."

"But," her face was puzzled, her small features screwed up in a look of adorable confusion. "I thought that boys had girlfriends."

Sam leaned closer to Rory and took his hand, fielding that particular question. "Some boys have girlfriends, and some boys have boyfriends." He held up his and Rory's linked hands as evidence. Stacy nodded, her curiosity evidently satisfied. Stevie had watched the scene with a look of innocent curiosity, deciding to listen instead of question.

Sam's mother came into the room and shooed the children out, telling them it was time to get dressed and do their Christmas shopping.

"Are you boys going to be okay alone here all day?" Sam's mother asked, concerned.

"We're not little kids, mom," Sam replied, amused. "We can handle it."

Rory turned his head and nodded from where he stood over the sink. He'd insisted on washing the dishes.

"Alright," her voice was hesitant. "Are you sure you boys don't want to come to the mall with us?"

"I'm absolutely positive that I don't want to be anywhere _near_ the mall this close to Christmas," Sam laughed. He leaned forward and kissed his mother on the cheek as she sighed in defeat and turned for the door. "Goodbye, Rory," she called.

"Goodbye, Mrs. Evans," he answered.

The front door had barely closed all the way before Sam crossed the kitchen and snaked his arms around Rory's waist

Rory jumped, dropping the plate he was cleaning and sending a wave of warm, soapy water across the front of his shirt.

Sam laughed quietly in his ear, kissing along his neck as he said a quick apology. "So, what do you want to do today?" the blonde whispered seductively.

Rory dipped his head down as his body shook with laughter. "That is, _without_ _a_ _doubt_ , the worst line I've ever heard." He turned himself around in Sam's arms, his blue eyes bright. Sam smiled and leaned forward so that his forehead was touching Rory's.

The younger boy pressed his lips to Sam's, wrapping his arms around the blonde's neck, and kissed him sweetly. After a moment, Sam took control of the kiss, flicking his tongue over Rory's bottom lip before slipping it past his parted lips. A soft moan slipped from Rory, and he rocked forward so that he was pressed flush against Sam's body.

The Irish boy broke the kiss, turning his head so that his lips were barely away from Sam's. "Let's go back to bed," Rory whispered, cocking an alluring eyebrow.

Sam wasted no time bending down and lifting Rory off his feet, carrying the giggling boy, wedding-style, toward his bedroom, kicking the door closed behind them, before dropping Rory down on the bed, playfully rough, and pouncing on him. Rory laughed and quickly shucked off his boyfriend's shirt, trailing his fingers along Sam's strong arms. He loved the way he could feel the muscles working underneath his hands. "You're so strong, Sammy," Rory said in a rough whisper. He could feel Sam flexing his bicep in response.

The blonde's mouth trailed along Rory's jawline before dropping to his neck, kissing and nipping softly. Rory moaned quietly. Sam reached down and hooked his fingers under the hem of Rory's shirt, lifting it off his body, kissing the newly exposed skin of his stomach. Rory threaded his fingers through Sam's hair, stroking lightly as the boy's lips peppered soft kisses to his bare skin, guitar calloused fingers trailing along his sides before settling on the waistband of his pajama pants.

Their first time, it had been dark, and they'd undressed so quickly that Sam had never really gotten the chance to savor the little moments. He pressed soft kisses and little love bites to Rory's hipbone as he slowly slid his pajama bottoms and boxers down his long, slender legs, his hand trailing back up to Rory's thighs to massage gently.

Sam glanced up to Rory's face. The brunette's eyes were bright and eager, sparkling like sapphires in the sun. He hoped he'd never get used to the way Rory took his breath away. When he looked into Rory's eyes, a wave of warmth always washed over him, and he couldn't help but smile.

The blonde pulled himself up so that he was lying over top of Rory again, bringing their lips together in a kiss that started off as sweet but soon became urgent when Sam slid his tongue across Rory's full bottom lip before pulling it between his own lips and sucking lightly. A low moan escaped Rory and his hips bucked off the mattress, colliding with Sam's, creating friction. Another moan escaped soon after. Sam brought his hips down roughly, and Rory began to squirm beneath him.

"S-Sam," he stuttered, pushing against his shoulders, hinting for him to roll over. "Can I...?"

"Can you what? I'm sure, whatever it is, the answer will be _yes_ ," Sam laughed.

Rory's cheeks flushed. "Can I undress you?"

Sam smiled at the almost innocent request. "Of course," he said adoringly, carding his fingers gently through Rory's messy hair. Rory's answering smile was heart stopping. He quickly pressed a kiss to Sam's lips before kissing down the blonde's neck, sucking lightly at the spot that he knew made Sam squirm. Rory's hands gripped Sam's biceps, kneading the large muscles that were tensed just beneath the surface, before releasing them in favor of trailing his fingers across Sam's abs, the skin was contrastingly soft compared the hard muscle underneath. Rory couldn't resist pressing his lips to the skin and sucking until he left a mark. He smiled smugly as he heard the sound that escaped from Sam's lips at the action.

Rory slid his hands across the bare skin before prompting Sam to lift his hips and sliding off Sam's pants. His breath hitched as he took in the sight of Sam lying on the bed waiting, and quite obviously ready, for him. He couldn't believe that this beautiful man was really his. His hands roamed of their own accord over Sam's body as he stared. Sam watched Rory appraising him with a smile.

"Whatcha lookin' at?" he asked, amused.

"You. You're _so_ beautiful, Sammy," Rory's voice was just shy of breathless.

"I love you, Rory."

"I love you, too, Sam. So much," Rory stretched himself out on top of Sam to connect their lips again.

Sam wrapped his arms around Rory's waist and rolled him over, reaching up to grab a pillow. Rory smiled and lifted his head allowing the pillow to slide under.

The blonde rolled his hips, creating friction between their naked skin. Rory moaned and dug his fingers into Sam's shoulder. Sam repeated the motion until Rory's face was flushed a deep pink with arousal and his moans vibrated against Sam's lips.

Sam broke their kiss and Rory took the opportunity to speak.

"Please, stop teasing, Sam," he said, his silky voice rough with need. "I _need_ you."

A shudder rippled through Sam's body, and he nodded, unable to find his voice. He rolled to the side and stretched his arm out to reach where his duffel bag was on the floor, rifling around inside to grab the necessary supplies before pulling his arm back and dropping them on the bed. The blonde pressed his lips lovingly against his boyfriend's. Their lips slid together, warm and yielding.

Sam's hands busied themselves with the little bottle of clear liquid before Rory heard the sharp sound of a cap being snapped closed. Still kissing Rory, Sam reached down and began getting him ready, little sounds escaping the younger boy's lips as Sam's fingers twisted just the right way. It didn't take as long as the first time before Rory was ready for more. Sam kissed him once more before breaking away to get himself ready.

Soon, their lips reconnected, Sam easing himself in between Rory's legs, pressing insistently against his opening.

"Remember, breathe," Sam said quietly, lips at Rory's ear.

"I remember," Rory replied just as quietly despite the fact that they were alone. The sparkling blue of his eyes was set in stunning contrast to the red that colored his cheeks. His eyelids fluttered closed, and Sam couldn't resist kissing them.

Sam rolled his hips, slowly beginning to enter Rory. Despite the burn, Rory moaned quietly. He reveled in the way he felt his body accommodate Sam. The comforting feeling of fullness washing over him again. Rory wrapped his arms around Sam's neck, pulling him closer, and kissing him urgently as he felt Sam become fully sheathed inside him.

Sam stroked his thumb across the apple of Rory's cheek as he waited for him to adjust. Finally, Rory nodded and Sam carefully pulled back and rolled his hips, pushing inside slowly. Rory moaned loudly as Sam brushed the sensitive spot inside him. Sam began to fall into a rhythm, spurred on by the unashamed sounds that spilled from Rory's mouth. Rory's body writhed beneath him as he did his best to push back against Sam's thrusts, whimpering. Sam knew his boyfriend was close.

Rory reached down and took his length into his hand and began pumping it quickly, but Sam batted his hand away, replacing it with his own and matching the rhythm of his hips with his hand. Begging pleas poured over Rory's lips.

"S-Sam, I'm s-so close," he whined in a broken whimper. "Please, d-don't stop..."

Sam experimentally picked up the pace and began thrusting into Rory faster. The result had caught Sam off-guard. Rory began moaning louder than Sam had ever heard. The begging intensified until it became incoherent babble. He continued to pump Rory quickly, but Sam wasn't sure if he could last much longer, himself.

"Oh my God, Sam...don't stop...more...p-please..." Rory cried, totally wrecked. His hips arched off the mattress and the sight and sound of Rory totally falling apart was too much for Sam. His release crashed over him like a tidal wave, hard and fast. He barely heard Rory cry out his own release before he felt the warm seed spill over his hand as he continued to pump him.

Sam collapsed on top of Rory, kissing him furiously and dragging his fingers through the brunette's hair as he rolled to the side and pulled him into his arms. He quickly removed the condom and tossed it in the bedside waste basket. Rory curled into his side, his legs still trembling from the effects of his orgasm.

The older boy grabbed a blanket and threw it over Rory and himself. He felt Rory's cheek nuzzling against the space between his neck and shoulder, his arm thrown across Sam's chest. Sam smiled sleepily and pulled him closer.

"I love you so much, Rory."

"Mmm...love you, too, Sammy," he mumbled sleepily against Sam's skin.

Sam pressed a soft kiss to the top of Rory's head and the two fell asleep almost immediately.

* * *

The pair slept for over an hour, Rory waking up first. He didn't wake Sam, he just reveled in the strong, vital sound of the boy's heart beating beneath his ear until he felt him begin to stir.

When the blonde finally woke up, they'd playfully chased each other to the shower to wash away the evidence of the afternoon's activities, and by the time Sam's family returned, Stevie and Stacy running in to accost their brother, Sam and Rory were curled up together on the couch watching a movie. The twin siblings joined the boyfriends until their bedtime. Sam came into his room after tucking Stevie in to find Rory talking excitedly into his cell phone.

"No, really, I'm having such a good time with Sam and his family. They treat me like family," Rory said brightly. Sam could hear chattering on the other end, but couldn't make out any words.

"Yes, mammy, I'm cleaning up after myself," Rory rolled his eyes, and the chattering continued. His face became puzzled. "Sam? He's right here. Did you want to talk to him?" Rory nodded in response to whatever it was his mother said. "No, I understand. I know what Skype is," he laughed. "I didn't know that you did though." More chattering. Rory laughed cheerfully. "Okay, I will call you on it tomorrow, mammy. I love you." Rory listened, his eyes flashing to Sam as another smile spread across his face. "I'll tell him you said hello."

"Hello, Mrs. Flanagan," Sam called toward the phone.

Rory rolled his eyes and a quick peal of laughter slipped past his lips. "Yes, mammy, he does sound cute."

Sam winked at Rory and smiled. "Yes, I'll talk to you tomorrow. I'm going to go to bed. I'm so tired. Goodnight."

Rory waited for a moment as his mother said goodnight but soon pulled the phone away from his ear and sighed deeply. Sam walked over and snaked his arms around Rory's waist.

"I know how much you miss them, babe."

Rory turned around in Sam's arms so they were facing. "Seamus got Skype so that we could talk face to face. He saved all of his chore money to buy a webcam."

Sam smiled and kissed Rory softly on the lips. "I can't wait to see your mom and Seamus."

Rory beamed. "They'll love you just as much as I do."

"Let's go to bed, baby. I'm exhausted," Sam said, yawning. He laced his fingers with Rory's and led them to bed.

They cuddled close under the warmth of the blankets and succumbed quickly to the calmness and security of the moment, falling into a peaceful sleep wrapped up in each other's arms.


	6. Someday, Maybe

The next day started much the same was as the day before. Stacy bounded in the room to wake the sleeping couple up for breakfast. Sam grabbed her by the waist and pulled her down; she cuddled against his side, squeezing herself between Sam and Rory. Rory propped himself up on his elbow to watch as Sam laughed quietly with the little girl in pink pajamas.

"I wish you didn't have to leave, Sammy," she said, her voice tinged with sadness.

"Oh, Stacy," Sam soothed. "I'm not leaving yet. I'm going to be here for Christmas and New Years."

"But I don't want you to leave, Sammy. I want you and Rory to stay forever."

Rory smiled at the little girl as Sam answered. "We'd love to stay forever, but eventually we have to go back to school."

"But we'll come back to visit, Stacy," Rory added when he saw her face fall. Her face brightened up immediately. Sam kissed his sister on the top of the head before rolling out of bed to head toward the bathroom. Stacy readjusted, scooting closer to Rory's side and resting her head against his chest.

"Rory?" she asked quietly.

"Yes, love?"

"Are you and Sammy going to get married?"

Sam peeked around the corner and into the bedroom to see Rory's reaction.

There was silence for a beat before Rory answered. "Someday, maybe." Sam could see the corners of Rory's mouth pulled up into a smile.

Stacy nodded against the boy's chest. "Do you love Sammy?"

Rory's face beamed. "Yes, I do."

"Good," she answered matter-of-factly. Rory laughed quietly at her stern tone before kissing the top of her head.

"I love him, too," Sam replied as he walked back into the room, dropping down on the bed next to Rory. "Tell mom that we'll be right out for breakfast."

"Okay, Sammy," she said happily, throwing herself off the bed and heading for the door.

Sam quickly bent down and pressed his lips to Rory's. "I love you so much."

As it had countless times already that night, thunder shook the Evans' small house. Stacy and Stevie were cuddled into the couch next to Sam and Rory. Lightning flashed, briefly illuminating the dark living room. Stevie whimpered nervously as the lights flickered, the power threatening to go out at any moment. He buried his face in Sam's shoulder as the older boy tried to comfort him. "It's just a thunderstorm, Stevie," Sam said soothingly, sliding his hand across his little brother's back.

The weather was freakish; Sam had never heard of a thunderstorm happening in the middle of winter. The snow was piling up and lightning periodically cut across the sky. The weatherman had warned that the storm was going to be bad, so Sam's parents had gone down into the basement to gather supplies just in case the power did go out.

Rory's phone vibrated on the cushion beside him, and he picked it up eagerly, a smile breaking across his face. He quickly replied to the text message and looked at Sam.

"Seamus wants me to get on Skype with him," Rory's chirped, his voice an octave higher than usual with excitement. The Irish boy eased Stacy from his lap and walked toward the computer in Sam's room, pressing the button to power on the monitor.

Soon, the chiming sound of an incoming Skype call came through the small speakers. Rory smiled broadly and answered. His breath hitched in his throat as he suddenly saw the bright face of his little brother, his blue eyes sparkling with joy.

"Hi," Rory said quickly, his voice cracking in odd places, a grin stretched across his face.

"Hi, Rory!" the younger boy said excitedly.

"Oh my God, Seamus, I miss you so much! You'd love America," Rory said hurriedly. "I wish you were here to see it all."

Sam came into the room, bustling around and changing into his pajamas before dropping into a chair next to Rory, lacing their fingers together. He suddenly worried that Rory may not want his brother to see them together.

"Is this okay?" he whispered. Rory smiled and nodded.

"It's fine, Sammy."

"Who's that, Rory?" Seamus asked, confused.

"Seamus, this is Sam," Rory introduced, turning the camera toward Sam. "Sam, this is my little brother, Seamus."

"I'm not that little, Rory," Seamus replied indignantly. Sam smiled. Rory and Seamus had the same petulant pout, the smaller boy's features crinkling adorably in the same way his brother's did.

"Seamus, I have to tell you something," Rory said nervously.

"What?" Seamus asked, curious.

"I want you to hear it from me before you hear it from da, okay?"

"What is it, Rory?" Seamus' voice was nervous.

"Sam and I are boyfriends. Like, _boyfriends_ boyfriends."

Shock flitted across the boy's face, all the color draining from his cheeks.

"Say something, Seamus," Rory begged anxiously.

"I heard da saying something about...but I didn't think..." It was easy to see the pieces falling into place in Seamus' head. "Rory, are you... _gay_?" There was no judgment in the younger boy's voice, only worry.

Rory just nodded, unable to find his voice.

"Da said I wasn't allowed to talk to you anymore, but he wouldn't tell me why. He just called you names. I tried to defend you, but he said that I shouldn't try and protect you because of what you were, what you are," Seamus said, shaking his head sadly. "Rory, you're still my big brother. It doesn't matter to me, but you know what da will do if you come home." The younger boy's face twisted in horror as some scenario played itself out in his mind. He shook his head to dispel it.

"Rory, what are you going to-" Seamus' head turned abruptly toward the door behind him, a terrified expression on his face. The door cracked, and Rory's face fell; it was a stern looking older man. Sam could feel the tension rolling off Rory as he watched the scene playing itself out an ocean away.

The man walked into Seamus' bedroom, immediately recognizing that his son had defied his orders, and pulled the boy roughly out of his chair and slapping him hard across the face. Seamus stumbled backwards, his eyes still locked on Rory. Sam squeezed his hand tighter.

Rory felt his stomach do a sick flip as he watched his father "disciplining" his brother.

"Stop!" Rory yelled, desperate to distract his father; it worked. "Go find mam, Seamus!" The boy took his brother's advice and skittered out of the room, obviously on the verge of tears.

His father dropped into the computer chair angrily. "I thought I told you, boy, you will not curse this household with your sick lifestyle."

Rory was shaking beside Sam. "Yes, sir. I just had to talk to Seamus. I miss him."

"You will keep your perversion to yourself. Do not talk to my son again," Mr. Flanagan spat. Rory recoiled as though he'd been slapped.

"Hold on," Sam piped in, furious and unable to listen to anymore. "You can't keep Rory from talking to Seamus. That's his brother."

"Sam," Rory warned quietly.

"Listen to me, whoever you are-"

"My name is Sam. I'm Rory's boyfriend. And, no, _you_ listen to _me_. There is nothing wrong with Rory, but there is something seriously wrong with you," Sam's words came out in an angry rush. "I love your son more than anything in the world, and I will not stand for you talking to him like that."

The lights flickered dramatically behind Sam as he lit into Rory's father.

The angry man interrupted Sam to direct his ire at Rory.

"Alright, boy, I don't know what your sick obsession is with Seamus, but you will _never_ contact him again. I will not have you infecting him with your _disease_. It just makes me sick to think about what you might have done to him while we _trusted_ you to watch him."

Rory's mouth dropped open in shock. Sam couldn't believe what he was hearing. The blonde wanted to defend Rory against the hateful attack, but he couldn't find any words. He just clutched Rory's hand tighter. The boy was frozen beside him, his eyes wet with tears. His father continued his rant.

"You will _never_ set foot inside my house again. You will _never_ call here again. If I ever find out that have tried to speak to my son again, I'll-"

In that moment, the power flickered again quickly before finally going out altogether, plunging the pair into darkness. Sam was almost glad for the interruption. He was glad to have Rory away from the hatred being spewed by his father. Rory just sat, staring at the now blank screen, obviously in shock.

"Rory," Sam said anxiously. No answer. "Baby, look at me." He didn't.

The pale moonlight reflected from the wetness gathering in Rory's eyes. Sam could see him trying to blink it away. He stretched his arm out and pressed a hand against Rory's cheek, turning the boy's head so that they were facing. "Rory?"

"He doesn't mean it," Rory protested feebly. "He _can't_ mean it."

"Baby, your mother will talk to him, and..."

"She won't change his mind. How could he think that I'd ever...? It's n-not fair," he whispered brokenly, emotion beginning to overcome him.

"Rory," Sam said quietly, pulling Rory into his arms. "Seamus loves you more than anything. You're his big brother. He will _never_ stay away from you. You're his hero, baby. No matter what."

Rory squeezed Sam tightly, burying his face in his shoulder, sobbing. Sam lifted Rory from the computer chair and led him to their bed. "Lie down, Rory," Sam whispered, turning down the bed and helping his boyfriend get in before climbing in beside him and covering them both with blankets. Rory curled into his side and cried, his tears soaking the front of Sam's shirt near where he had the fabric gripped tightly within his fist. Sam placed his hand over top of Rory's, opening the hand clenching his shirt and lacing their fingers together.

Though he was calm on the outside, inside Sam's fury was boiling over. There was nothing that Rory cared about more than his little brother, and his father knew that. He had used Rory's love for Seamus against him, used it to hurt him. Watching the broken boy sobbing against his chest only fueled Sam's hatred for Rory's father. How could anyone intentionally hurt someone as sweet and pure as Rory?

There was really nothing to be said. Sam couldn't think of any comforting words to fix the damage that had been done, so he just held Rory tightly, rubbing his palm across his back, until he cried himself to sleep.

Sam didn't know how, but somehow he'd find a way to make this right.


	7. Trust

When Rory awoke, his eyes burned from crying. He knew that it wasn't even close to morning yet. Something was amiss, but he couldn't put his finger on what it was, so he just lay with his head on Sam's chest, deep in thought.

He sighed quietly as he remembered the events that had led up to that moment, the conversation with his brother. He felt proud that he'd actually come out to Seamus. It made him feel strong, even if, right now, he felt like breaking. Somewhere deep inside, he took comfort in the fact that his mother and brother loved him just the same, whether he was allowed to communicate with them or not, but there was a strange feeling of emptiness left by knowing that, an ocean away, his father had completely written him off. Rory tried so hard to make his father proud. He'd excelled in school and sports, and was, by all accounts, the model son. His parents' friends used to rave over how well-behaved he was, and how they wished their kids were more like Rory.

Rory had known for years that he was gay, but he'd worked so hard to keep it hidden, not wanting to disappoint his father. His eyes stung with unshed tears as he realized that he had, in fact, disappointed him. His father once went on a tangent after on of his friend's sons came out as gay.

"I'm telling you, Rory," he'd said, casually flipping through the channels as he lounged in his favorite chair. "I always knew that Riley boy wasn't right. He was always a little..." His father made an effeminate gesture with his wrist. Rory shifted uncomfortably in his seat as his father laughed and continued with a snort of derision. " _Disgusting_. If you or your brother ever told me you were like that," he said, wrinkling his nose in distaste. "You'd be out on your arse so fast it'd make your head spin."

So, he had known that his father would react _exactly_ like that, but there was a difference between knowing something in theory and actually seeing it happen. Pain shot through his heart at the idea of not being able to see Seamus or his mother again, but he pushed it aside. He had known the consequences of telling his family, and now he had to live with them and hope that, maybe one day, his father would reconsider, however unlikely that event was. He decided to make peace with what he had lost for the time being and just focus on everything he had. He was still devastated, but he started to relax slightly as he felt Sam's arm tighten instinctively around his waist, holding him together. After seeing Sam's reaction earlier, he wanted to be strong for him.

Suddenly, he realized what was wrong with the scene. Sam's breathing was far too deliberate, not the usual deep, even breaths that accompanied sleep.

"S-Sam?" Rory asked quietly. "Are you asleep?"

"No." His voice was low and even. Rory could recognize that there was anger burning behind his tone. Sam worked to relax his voice. "Are you okay?" _What_ _a_ _stupid_ _question_ _,_ Sam thought. _Of_ _course_ _he_ _'_ _s_ _not_ _._

"I knew what would happen," Rory replied quietly, his fingers sliding across the front of Sam's shirt as he tried very hard to pay attention to anything other than his own thoughts.

Sam's hands balled into fists against Rory's back. "And that's an _excuse_?"

"Sammy," Rory worked to try and soothe his boyfriend. "I'm okay. I know that my mam and Seamus still love me, no matter what my da says, and that's enough. Plus, it's hard to focus on all that's wrong with my life when you're holding me. I love you, and that makes everything a little easier."

Rory wasn't lying, the closeness with Sam was the only thing keeping him from falling apart. He snuggled closer into his boyfriend's side, determined to push the unpleasantness out of his mind and just live in the moment, where he was safe, loved, and warm in Sam's arms.

The blonde was frozen with shock and emotion. His boyfriend had just, for all intents and purposes, been kicked out of his family. He'd been accused of unspeakable things and told that he was perverted and sick, diseased, but here he was talking about how much he was thankful for.

"You're amazing, Rory," Sam said, his voice thick and quiet. "I love you more than anything else in the world. I swear, I'll find a way to fix this."

Rory looked up toward Sam's face and smiled fondly, stroking his cheek lightly. "Sam, there's nothing to be fixed. We're together and that's what matters. I have you, and that's more than I ever dreamed I'd have."

Sam stared into Rory's eyes, overcome by his love for the Irish boy. Rory never ceased to amaze him. After all he'd been through that night, Sam had expected Rory to curl into a ball and become all but despondent, but he hadn't. Even though anyone else in his situation would just let the hopelessness wash over them, Rory had chosen to find goodness and cling to it like a life-preserver. Even with all the hate, Rory had focused on the beauty.

The light had returned to Rory's eyes. There was still sadness hidden deep inside, but the spark had returned, the devious glint that Sam had fallen in love with. Rory saw the emotion on Sam's face and brought his fingers to ghost across Sam's cheek, a small smile on his lips. Sam's heart fluttered at the sight.

"God, Rory," Sam said breathlessly, claiming his lips. He slid out of Rory's arms to position himself above him before reconnecting their mouths, lips sliding together passionately, all emotion and love, until both boys were rendered breathless and had to break the kiss in order to catch their breath. The time between kissing was not wasted as the blonde quickly removed Rory's shirt, kissing his neck as he tossed the shirt to the floor and removed his own.

He watched as Rory's eyes widened at the sight of Sam shirtless. The younger boy leaned up and pressed kisses to Sam's shoulder as his fingers slid along his muscled chest. Sam had never been more in love with Rory than he was at that moment. He leaned down and kissed him again lovingly. His heart fluttered as he got an idea for a more substantial way to show Rory how much he loved him, how much he trusted him.

"Rory," he whispered against the boy's lips before pulling back a few inches.

"Hmm?" Rory asked, his voice breathless from kissing.

Sam brought his lips to the boy's ear. "I want you to take me."

Rory froze beneath him. "What?" he asked shakily.

"You heard me. I trust you. I want to give myself to you."

A shudder rippled through Rory's body. "Sam," he mouthed, unable to find his voice. Sam quickly rolled the pair over so that he was underneath the slender boy before surging their lips together again. Rory ground his hips down experimentally. A low throaty groan escaped Sam, his fingers sliding down Rory's bare back and past the waistband on his pajamas, trying to slide them down from an odd angle.

The brunette realized what he was trying to do and obliged, shucking down the cotton pants and tossing them aside before removing Sam's.

As he returned to his position above his boyfriend, Rory gazed into his bright green eyes. He seemed so sure of his decision, but Rory was intensely nervous. He knew firsthand how much sex hurt the first time, and the thought of hurting Sam wasn't something Rory could handle. The Irish boy bit his lip anxiously.

"Sammy, are you sure?" he asked apprehensively.

"Yes, I'm sure," Sam answered, stroking his fingers through Rory's hair soothingly.

"I don't want to hurt you, and-"

Sam put a finger to the fretting boy's lips. "Rory, I want this. I trust you." He laced their fingers together on the mattress. "I love you."

Rory smiled and kissed Sam lightly on the lips. "I love you, too, Sammy."

Rory trailed his fingers down the expanse of Sam's chest as he slid himself down to rest between his boyfriend's legs, sitting cross-legged and looking very much out of his element. He knew everything that he was supposed to do, having had it done to him, but he floundered over how to start.

"My suitcase," Sam prompted, pointing in the direction of the bag.

Rory's face screwed up in confusion. He opened his mouth to question, but suddenly understanding washed over him as he realized what was _inside_ the duffel bag. He stretched to reach where the bag sat on the floor, rustling around until he procured a small bottle and a foil packet.

Sam sat up to take the bottle from his hand and thumb the cap open. "Give me your hand," he said. Rory rested his hand, face up, in Sam's palm. The blonde kissed his boyfriend's fingers before coating them with a generous amount of the slippery liquid and guiding the hand down between his legs.

Rory watched his hand as though it belonged to someone else until he felt pressure against his fingertips as Sam pressed them against his opening.

"You won't hurt me, baby. Relax," Sam soothed, letting go of Rory's fingers.

The Irish boy swallowed thickly and traced his fingers across Sam's hole, eyes intensely focused on his ministrations. He applied pressure, watching his fingers slide wetly past the tight ring of muscle before disappearing inside of Sam. He twisted his finger as he worked it and out. Looking up, he saw Sam's eyes on him, watching with a mix of love and want. Rory shuddered involuntarily and slowly began working Sam open with a second finger.

A quiet hiss escaped Sam's lips as he felt himself being stretched, but the pain was overshadowed by the look of lust that had settled on Rory's face. Sam's head fell back against the pillow as he felt Rory's fingers suddenly stroked a spot inside him that sent pleasure shooting through his body.

"Right there," he whispered in a surprised whimper. Rory smiled to himself at his success and repeated the motion, twisting his fingers just so in order to brush against that spot again. Before too long, Sam had fallen apart, whispering little cries of _'oh god'_ as Rory added a third finger and began to stretch him further. After what felt like an eternity, Rory brought his free hand to start pumping Sam's length where it lay, hard and heavy, against his stomach.

"God, Rory," Sam whined. "Please..." The plea died on his lips, but Rory understood. He slid his fingers out and, with a shaky hand, reached out to tear open the little packet and put on the condom.

"Come here," Sam said, pulling Rory up to kiss him, wrapping his arms around the boy's neck. When they had to break the kiss to breathe, Sam brought a hand to stroke Rory's cheek with his knuckles. The sweat was beginning to bead on his forehead from the heat of the small bedroom causing his hair to stick to his forehead. Sam brushed a stray lock aside and smiled up at his boyfriend. Something about seeing Rory this way made Sam feel safe.

He had always felt as though _he_ was the strong one in the relationship, the more dominant. The younger boy was always quiet and shy, but seeing Rory above him reminded Sam that his boyfriend could take control. Sam wanted him to have that control. He wanted to give himself to Rory completely, put himself entirely in Rory's hands.

Sam kissed Rory's shoulder, sucking lightly at the prominently protruding collarbone, eliciting a quiet moan. "I'm ready, Rory." His voice was low and rough. "Take me."

Rory moaned desperately at the words before surging their lips together and positioning himself so that he was pressing against Sam's opening.

"I love you so much, Sammy," Rory whispered against his lips, his voice thick with emotion.

"I love you, too, Rory."

The younger boy pushed forward into Sam, feeling the tight ring of muscle stretch around him. Sam hissed at the pain, but tried to think past it. He didn't want Rory to see that it hurt him. He had known that pain was going to be a part of it. He closed his eyes and did his best to breathe normally, to relax into it. Before long, he felt Rory become fully sheathed inside of him.

The feeling of fullness was almost surreal. He felt Rory trembling as he tried his best to stay perfectly still.

Rory's eyes had slid closed, his full bottom lip trapped between his teeth. Sam reached up and slid his thumb across the lip to free it. Rory's eyes fluttered open, his blue eyes a shade darker than usual and burning with passion.

"What does it feel like?" Sam asked, his voice low.

"So amazing." The words came out as a whined moan. "So t-tight."

Sam knew how torturous it was to be inside of the tight heat and not be able to move. His own pain was subsiding into a dull ache and he wanted to feel Rory moving, to watch Rory react to being inside him. The blonde pushed himself down onto Rory, forcing him to move. A moan slipped past Rory's lips as he took the hint.

Rory slid out, agonizingly slowly, and rolled his hips to bury himself to the hilt.

"O-Oh God," Sam moaned, instinctively wrapping his hands around Rory's bicep as if to anchor himself to the bed. He felt the muscles tensing beneath his fingers as Rory continued to thrust into him, brushing against the spot that made Sam lose control over the words that tumbled from his lips.

"More, _please_ _,_ " Sam begged, wrecked as he watched and felt Rory take him over completely. He felt so connected to his boyfriend in that moment. He felt as though they were one. He reveled in the way Rory's eyes had fluttered shut again, the way his face was flushed a deep pink with exertion and arousal, the sounds that poured from him as he continued to take Sam as his own.

Sam knew that the new combination of physical, visual, and auditory stimulation was going to send him over the edge quickly, but judging from the needy whines coming from Rory, he wouldn't be far behind.

"I-I'm close, baby," Sam moaned.

"Me too," Rory replied, surging their lips together.

Rory reached down and wrapped his fingers around Sam's shaft, fisting it quickly until the blonde was panting into his mouth and his seed spill across his fingers. He felt Sam's body clenching around him as he thrust inside of him.

"Let go, Rory," Sam said, voice rough and quiet. "Come for me."

"O-Oh..." Rory whined. Sam's words coupled with the _amazing_ tight heat wrapped around him threw Rory over the edge. He came hard, whimpering out a declaration of his love for Sam as his release crashed over him.

He collapsed on top of Sam's spent body, kissing him urgently as he came down from his high. He slid out of Sam and disposed of the condom, grabbing his shirt from the floor and using it to clean off Sam's stomach before he curled up against Sam's side, completely sated and content.

"That was amazing, Sammy," he said sleepily, tracing his fingers across Sam's chest. "Thank you. So much."

Sam laughed breathlessly. "You don't have to _thank_ me. I wanted to. Can I ask a favor?"

"Anything."

"Will you hold me?" Sam asked, suddenly feeling a bit shy.

Rory smiled brightly, rolling to his back and opening his arms. "Of course, Sammy."

Sam nuzzled against Rory's chest and felt Rory thread his fingers into his hair, stroking softly. Rory leaned down and kissed him sweetly on the lips.

"I love you so much," he said, smiling.

Sam kissed him once more, a quick peck, pulling the blankets over them. "I love you, too. More than you'll ever know."

The pair quickly fell asleep, warm and content in each other's arms.


	8. Christmas

Thankfully, the next morning, Sam and Rory had time to sneak a quick shower before the rest of the house began to wake up.

"Ya know what I wanna do today, Sammy?" Rory asked, looking in the mirror as he fixed his hair. Sam was lounging on the bed watching his boyfriend putter around the bedroom.

"What's that, Rory?" he asked, smiling at Rory's tone.

"I think we should go for a walk through the park down the road. I bet it's really pretty now that it's been snowing."

Sam groaned. He'd hoped that whatever Rory had wanted to do that day involved staying inside where it was warm. Overnight, the ground had been covered with a blanket of snow, and while he loved how pretty it looked, it was cold. The adorable, pleading look on Rory's face as he turned away from the mirror to look at Sam was enough to convince him to go along with whatever his boyfriend wanted to do.

"Alright," Sam said, sighing. "But that look is _totally_ not fair. As if I could say no to _that_ face."

Rory beamed and crossed the room to throw himself on the bed next to Sam. The blonde pulled him into his arms and kissed the top of his head.

Sam scribbled a quick note to his mother explaining their absence, and walked into the living room where Rory was putting his scarf around his neck, his back turned to the doorway. Sam leaned against the doorjamb and watched. Rory quickly turned around to where Sam was, a smile stretched across his face.

Sam grinned affectionately as he walked over to wrap his arms around Rory.

The excitement radiating from Rory was enough to make Sam feel warm, but coupled with the way he looked-wearing a well-fitting red jacket accented by a toasty scarf and red gloves, all topped off by a cute red wool cap that sat back on his head, allowing the front of his chestnut brown hair to peek out from under it-almost made him go weak in the knees.

"You look beautiful, Rory," he said reverently, kissing the tip of his nose. "No," he corrected himself quickly. "You don't _look_ beautiful. You _are_ beautiful."

Rory beamed in response, and Sam took his hand, leaning forward to open the door.

As soon as they got outside, Rory's eyes lit up. He surveyed the snowy landscape with an almost childlike excitement. He absolutely loved the snow. He loved the way it accented everything with a shimmery whiteness. Sam led the pair down the small sidewalk, smiling at his boyfriend's enthusiasm.

"You really like the snow, don't you?" Sam asked curiously. Rory just continued beaming and looking around, not even glancing at Sam as he answered.

"It makes everything look so beautiful."

As he watched Rory's cheeks flush red from the cold, snowflakes gathering on his coat and in the little bit of hair visible from underneath his hat, Sam couldn't argue with Rory's observation.

"Christmas has _always_ been my favorite holiday. I can't believe it's finally here," Rory continued, oblivious to Sam staring.

"Oh my God, it's the twenty fourth already?" Sam said, shocked.

"Yep," he answered joyfully. "Tomorrow's Christmas."

"Actually," Sam said. "My family usually opens presents from the family on Christmas Eve. Christmas morning is when Stacy and Stevie open their Santa presents."

"Tonight?" Rory asked, confused. "I've never heard of that."

"Yeah, it's what a lot of Americans do. So, you get to open your presents tonight."

Rory's eyes widened. "Presents? I'm getting presents?" He asked excitedly. He'd bought presents for everyone, but it hadn't even crossed his mind to expect anything in return.

"Of course," Sam snorted. "I couldn't _not_ get you something for Christmas. I'd be a terrible boyfriend. And my mother loves any excuse to shop, so I'm sure you got something from them. I also have it on good authority that Stacy and Stevie have been working diligently on a gift for you."

The Irish boy was almost bouncing. Sam laughed at his boyfriend's pure joy, leaning forward to kiss him.

"I love you so much, Rory," he said casually.

Rory started swinging their arms between them as they walked. "I love you, too, Sammy."

===xXxXx===

The boys had spent the better part of the morning walking through the park until the need for food began to sink in. They had walked back to Sam's house in companionable silence, just enjoying the other's presence.

When they arrived back to the house, Sam's mother had been busy arranging the presents underneath the Christmas tree in the living room. Stacy and Stevie were digging through them, sorting and sizing up their gifts. Sam led Rory through the living room and into the kitchen where his mother was now up to her elbows in cookie dough.

"What are you doing, Mrs. Evans?" Rory asked curiously, letting go of Sam's hand to investigate.

"I am making Christmas cookies from my grandmother's recipe," she said, her voice bright. "Would you like to help, Rory? I could teach you."

Rory beamed brightly. "That'd be grand, ma'am."

Sam sat in a kitchen chair, observing, as his mother and boyfriend worked together to make cookies. Rory giggled as Mrs. Evans handed him a spoon and the empty bowl with cookie dough stuck to the sides. Sam had materialized at his side, gathering cookie dough onto the spoon his mother had handed him. Rory watched as Sam put the spoonful of raw cookie dough into his mouth, nose wrinkling in distaste.

Sam paused at Rory's expression, spoon still in his mouth. "What?"

"What are you doing?"

"Um...eating the leftover cookie dough...?" Sam answered, confused by Rory's reaction.

"Why would you do that? It's not cooked."

Sam smiled and gathered another spoonful. "Open your mouth."

"No!" Rory shot back quickly.

"Rory," Sam prompted.

Rory began to protest and Sam quickly took advantage of the opportunity, sticking the spoon into his unsuspecting mouth before he could react. His eyes widened as he tasted the cookie dough, a smile stretching across his face. Sam's expression was smug as he pulled the spoon out of his boyfriend's mouth and folded his arms across his chest, waiting.

"Oh my God," Rory laughed, covering his mouth with his hand. "That is so good!"

"Told you so," Sam said, smiling.

Sam and Rory sat at the kitchen table cleaning every last bit of cookie dough from the sides of the bowl, abandoning their spoons and just using their fingers after scraping the remainder from the bottom of the bowl became too much work. When his mother wasn't looking, Sam put a dab of cookie dough on his lip and pulled Rory forward. The younger boy giggled as he removed the sweet from his boyfriend's lip with a gentle kiss.

"Go on boys," Mrs. Evans said, grinning. "I'll call you when the cookies are done."

Rory took Sam's hand and the two skittered out of the kitchen toward Sam's bedroom, collapsing onto the bed and curling into each other.

"So..." Sam started, stroking Rory's hair lightly with his hand. "What do you wanna do?"

"Hmm..." Rory said, thinking. "Let's watch a movie."

"Which movie?"

"I don't care. Whatever you want to watch, Sammy."

Sam nodded his assent and slid out of Rory's hold to hop off the bed and crouch in front of the DVD player for a moment, busying himself with putting in a disc, before settling back onto the bed. Rory immediately tangled himself back up with his boyfriend.

The movie started. Sam was paying attention to the screen, fingers idly dragging through Rory's hair as the boy's head rested against the crook of his neck. He hadn't even noticed that Rory had fallen asleep until he began to hear his soft snores. He glanced down to find Rory's face relaxed with sleep. He pressed a soft kiss to the top of his hair and slid his hand across his back in a slow rhythm as he continued to watch the movie and enjoy the complete tranquility of the moment.

About halfway through the movie, Mrs. Evans opened the door.

"Sam, Rory," she started to call. She quickly assessed the scene and hushed her voice. "Sam, sweetheart, dinner's ready."

Sam smiled and answered in the same hushed tone, stroking Rory's hair lightly. "Would it be okay if we skipped dinner tonight? I don't want to wake him up."

"He looked a little tired earlier," Mrs. Evans noted, gesturing to where Rory slept peacefully against Sam's side.

"Yeah, he had a bad night last night."

"Okay, sweetie, let him sleep. I'll have your brother and sister come and get you both for presents."

"Thanks, mom," he said, smiling. Mrs. Evans returned the smile and closed the door.

As the movie was drifting to its close, Sam felt Rory start to stir under his hand.

"Good morning, sunshine," Sam joked sweetly. "Guess you were pretty tired, huh."

"More tired than I thought, apparently," he mumbled sleepily. "What time is it?"

"Almost seven thirty. I was going to wake you up soon. Stacy and Stevie should be in here any second to get us to open presents."

"What about dinner?"

Sam laughed. "You slept through it. I didn't want to wake you up, so I didn't go either. Guess we'll just have to have cookies as we open presents."

Rory smiled up at Sam. "I can live with that."

Right on cue, the twin siblings came bursting through Sam's door yelling about presents, pulling insistently on Sam and Rory's arms in an attempt to physically drag the pair out of bed.

"We're coming! We're coming!" Sam insisted, wrenching Rory's arm free from the grip of his little sister. "Go on and start passing out the presents. We'll be right there." The kids were sufficiently appeased and tore out of the room like the wind.

"Ready," Sam asked quietly.

"I suppose," Rory said, a smile stretching across his face.

Sam rolled out of bed and offered Rory his hand, helping him up. The pair walked into the living room, a picturesque scene of a happy family. Mr. and Mrs. Evans watched with love as their two youngest children bounced around the room handing out presents. Sam and Rory sat down, fingers intertwined. The grins on Sam's parents' faces intensified as they saw their oldest son smile again. They'd waited so long to see Sam happy again, and they'd never seen him happier than when he was with Rory. Plus, it made it better that they absolutely adored Rory. They'd already welcomed him as a part of the Evans family.

"Sammy," Stevie called. "This one's for you!" The little blonde boy hustled over to Sam's seat, handing him a guitar case with a big red bow. Rory looked eagerly over his shoulder. Sam's eyes lit up as he popped the latch open and looked at the sleek, shiny black guitar inside.

"Who is _that_ from?" Stacy asked, in awe, as she peered into the case.

"Umm..." he said, closing the lid to look at the tag stuck to the front of the case. "It's from-" he broke off, looking up toward Rory, shocked. "It's from Rory."

Rory was smiling brightly behind Sam. He leaned forward to kiss the top of his head. "Merry Christmas, Sammy."

"Rory, this must have cost...I don't even know how much," Sam said breathlessly.

"I've been saving up for it. I know that you love the guitar you have now, but it's worn out, and if you're going to play music for me, you've gotta have a guitar that can keep up with your talent."

A tear slid down Sam's face as he listened to Rory. "I love you _so_ much," he said incredulously. He pulled the brunette close and kissed him on the lips. It was a bit too intimate, considering the audience, but no one seemed to care. Sam's mother cooed at her son's excitement.

Sam broke the kiss, suddenly realizing that they were being a little too 'coupley' in front of his parents and siblings. He laughed quietly as he threw his arms around Rory and hugged him tightly. "Thank you. Not just for the guitar, but for everything."

"You're welcome, Sammy." Rory said happily. "I love you."

The kids had already grown bored of the show of affection and returned to the veritable sea of presents. The sound of paper tearing filled the small room. Rory watched everyone open their presents with cheerful curiosity. Sam frowned as he saw everyone holding a gift except Rory. He threw himself off the couch and went to dig around under the tree and returning with three brightly colored boxes. He dropped them on Rory's lap and smiled widely.

"Here, baby," Sam said happily. "I don't want you to feel left out."

"Sam, just being here, I feel so included. I feel like family. You _really_ didn't need to go out of your way to get me anything."

"You are part of the family, Rory," Mr. Evans chimed in. "And, because you're family, we bought you a present."

"Thank you all so much for making me feel at home. You have no idea what it means to me." Rory tried to keep his voice light, but emotion crept into his words.

Sam swallowed thickly at the implications in Rory's words. Sam _did_ know what it meant to Rory to feel welcomed, to feel a part of a family. He had been embraced by Sam's family in a way he hadn't found in his own home. He almost felt guilty for being raised in such a loving home when Rory had to go through so much. He wrapped his arm around the Irish boy's shoulders, as he began to tear open the presents in his lap.

"This one is from Mr. and Mrs. Evans," he said, reading the tag before ripping open the paper. Inside the small box, was a new watch with a wide, dark brown leather band embellished with a flowing design in a lighter color. He opened it quickly and Sam helped him put it on. He twisted his wrist dramatically to see how it looked, smiling brightly. "Thank you so much! I love it!"

"You're welcome, sweetheart," Mrs. Evans said, reaching across the couch to pat Rory's cheek.

"Okay," Sam insisted. "Open more!"

Rory laughed at his boyfriend's enthusiasm. "This one's from..." he said, checking the sticker on the front of the box, laughing at the messy writing on the tag. "Sam, this one's for both of us. It's from Stacy and Stevie."

The siblings looked up expectantly from where they were sitting on the floor.

Rory tore open the package, a feat considering the amount of tape encasing the wrapping paper. He opened the box underneath the paper to find a green stuffed bear wearing a necklace made of plastic beads. Stacy spoke up first.

"We know how much you love green, and Sammy loves teddy bears, so we saved up our piggy bank money to buy it. Stevie named him Clover, but you can call him whatever you want, and we made the necklace together. The beads are blue and green to match yours and Sammy's eyes." Stacy smiled triumphantly.

"Thank you both _very_ much!" Rory said, standing up to go hug the two little blondes. "I love it!"

It was true. He'd never received a present that meant more. They'd obviously put an enormous amount of thought into the gift.

"What do you think, Rory?" Sam asked, holding up the bear. "I think we should call him Clover. I like it."

"Me too," he said, smiling at Stevie.

"You've got one more present to open," Sam said, settling the stuffed animal into his lap and lifting up a small box, smiling broadly.

"Let me guess who this one's from," Rory answered, sitting back down next to Sam, grinning. He checked the tag anyway. "It's from Sam," he said, turning to smile cheerfully at the older blonde.

He turned the box over and slid his finger underneath the tape, popping it up and opening the paper. He immediately recognized the box as containing an iPod Touch. "No, Sam," he said breathlessly, pushing it toward the blonde. "It's too much. I couldn't possibly-"

"Rory, it's not too much. I'm sure my guitar cost more than your present."

"Sam," he protested, only to be silenced by Sam's hand covering his mouth.

"Merry Christmas, Rory," he said, smiling. "I want you to have all the best things I can possibly give you. You deserve it."

Rory smiled broadly against Sam's palm. The blonde removed his hand and Rory leaned forward to kiss him softly on the lips. "Thank you, Sammy."

The kids were on the floor playing with their new toys and Mr. and Mrs. Evans had gone into the kitchen to have coffee. Sam pulled out his new guitar and leaned back against the couch and started strumming idly. As Rory watched the simple beauty of the scene, he felt at home. He didn't feel like someone who was spending Christmas with his boyfriend's family; he felt as though he was a part of the family. He rested his head against Sam's shoulder and listened to the music.

After a short while, Sam's parents came back into the room. Sam looked up at them and then to the clock on the wall.

He smiled and nudged Rory. "Wanna see two little kids move at the speed of light?"

Rory nodded, grinning widely.

"Hey, Rory, do you hear that?" Sam asked, winking at Rory before the kids turned around, their interest piqued.

"No, what?" Rory answered.

"I thought I heard bells outside, like...sleigh bells."

"Hmm, that must mean Santa's close," Rory offered.

"I hope he doesn't skip our house because you guys are awake," Sam said, directing his comment toward his siblings.

Stacy and Stevie exchanged a nervous glance before jumping up from their spot on the floor and darting out of the room without a second glance.

As soon as the kids were out of the room, Sam and Rory dissolved into laughter, Mr. and Mrs. Evans joining in.

Rory stood up and began picking up the wrapping paper scattered across the living room floor, putting it all in the trash bag he'd taken from Mrs. Evans' hand.

"Thank you, Rory," she said. "You have been so helpful ever since you got here."

"It's my pleasure, ma'am," he answered smiling. He quickly finished tidying up the small room and tied up the bag. Sam took it from him and set it on the back porch. When he came back in the room, he sat down next to Rory, lacing their fingers together.

Rory looked meaningfully into Sam's eyes. "This has been the best day of my life, Sam. Thank you so much."

Sam smiled and pecked him on the lips. "You have no idea how happy you make me."

"Okay, boys," Mrs. Evans said pleasantly, breaking into their conversation. "Why don't you two go to bed. We're going to put out the Santa presents and then turn in for the night ourselves."

"Yes, ma'am," Rory said, standing up. "I just want to thank you for everything you've done for me. You'll never know how much I appreciate it. You've made me feel so welcome."

"You _are_ welcome, Rory. We feel like you're part of the family already, sweetheart."

Sam's father clapped Rory on the shoulder and smiled kindly at him.

Sam squeezed his hand and smiled.

Rory leaned forward and pulled Sam's mother in for a one-armed hug, Sam refused to let go of his hand. He whispered a quiet _thank you_ in her ear before pulling away. She smiled and patted his face.

"Goodnight, mom," Sam said, kissing his mother on the cheek. "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas, baby."

Sam towed Rory toward the bedroom and pulled him onto the bed, wrapping his arms around him. "I love you so much. You have _no_ idea."

Rory smiled and connected their lips. There was no urgency, no need, only love in the kiss. Sam broke the kiss and stroked Rory's cheek with his fingertips. "Let's watch another movie. I'm not really tired."

"Me either," Rory added.

"That's probably because you slept all afternoon," Sam replied, laughing quietly.

"I was exhausted," Rory defended. "A movie sounds good though."

"I know the perfect movie," Sam said matter-of-factly, rolling out of Rory's arms and off the bed. He busied himself with the DVD player and settled back onto the bed. Rory had taken off his jeans and slid under the blankets, so Sam did the same. He quickly pulled Rory into his arms. Rory rested his head in the crook of Sam's neck as the movie started.

Rory looked up, confused. "What is this?"

"It's _The_ _Nightmare Before Christmas,"_ Sam said. "I watch it every year. Haven't you ever seen it?"

Rory shook his head.

"Well, then I'm afraid we're going to have to break up," Sam said. "I simply cannot be with someone who has never seen _The_ _Nightmare Before Christmas_."

"Oh, be quiet," Rory laughed, snuggling closer to Sam's chest as he watched the strange movie.

===xXxXx===

Christmas morning had come and gone. Stevie and Stacy had woken Sam and Rory up at the crack of dawn, and the Evans' had even surprised them with another present. They had both gotten the collector's edition of _Avatar._

Sam's grandparents showed up around noon to eat Christmas dinner with the family. The introductions had gone smoothly. Neither set of grandparents seemed to mind that the person that Sam was in love with was a boy. They pretty much agreed with Sam's parents. It had been too long since Sam was able to be happy, that they welcomed anything that brought his smile back.

By the time bedtime had rolled around, Sam and Rory had eaten so much over the course of the day that they were exhausted.

As they closed the bedroom door behind them, Rory whispered into Sam's ear, half-asleep. "This has been the best Christmas ever. I love you."

"Yes, it has. I love you, too," Sam mumbled back, kissing Rory softly on his full lips.

They collapsed onto the bed and wiggled into each other's arms before falling fast asleep, warm and entirely content.

* * *


	9. Coffee?

The days leading up to New Year's Eve passed quickly but uneventfully. The highlight was when Sam and Rory took Stacy and Stevie outside a couple days after Christmas and taught them how to build a proper snowman. Rory had delighted in the wintery chill and the snow. Sam had just tried to keep as close to his boyfriend as possible to keep warm. He laughed as he watched Rory throw himself backwards into the fluffy snow, showing the two little blondes how to make a snow angel. Sam couldn't tell who was having more fun, the two seven year olds or his teenaged boyfriend. He offered a hand to help Rory up, finally putting his foot down about the cold.

The kids protested at first, but as soon as Sam promised to make them hot chocolate, they quickly ran for the door. As soon as his siblings disappeared, Sam took Rory's face in his hands, delighting in the flush of red that colored his cheeks and the tip of his nose from the chill in the air, and kissed him sweetly on the lips. He felt Rory's lips turn up into a smile against his own.

Sam broke the kiss and rested his forehead against Rory's. "I love you _so_ much, Rory. I love how you are with Stacy and Stevie. I love how you help my mom around the house. You're amazing."

"I love you, too, Sammy," Rory answered, kissing the blonde quickly. "You're family is so amazing. They make me feel at home. I love them."

Sam smiled, overjoyed at Rory's happiness, and laced their fingers together. "Let's go get some hot chocolate and warm up," Sam suggested as he led Rory toward the house.

Now, Sam and Rory sat on the couch, watching the New Year's Eve celebration in Times Square play out on TV. , waiting for the ball to drop and usher in the new year. Stevie and Stacy bounced around the room excitedly. Sam's parents had already gone to bed, having no interest in watching the new year roll in. They'd made Sam promise to make sure the kids went to be directly after midnight.

"We don't really have anything like this in Ireland," Rory said absently, referring to the mob of people flooding the streets of New York City.

Rory leaned his head against Sam's shoulder. The blonde automatically brought his fingers to card through his boyfriend's hair.

"Only ten seconds left!" Stevie announced excitedly.

Rory sat up and watched the crowd in Times Square usher in the new year as Stacy and Stevie counted down. The clock struck midnight and the younger Evans children bounced around the living room. Sam pulled Rory close and surged their lips together, kissing him with a sweet passion, breaking the kiss just before the kids turned back around.

"Happy New Year, baby," Sam said, a smile pulling up the corners of his full lips.

"Happy New Year, Sammy," Rory said, cheeks flushed from the unexpected kiss. He cuddled back into Sam's side as the blonde wrapped an arm around his shoulders.

Stacy bounded over quickly and kissed Rory and Sam on the cheek, smiling. "Happy New Year!" She ran across the room to capture Stevie and kiss him on the cheek as well. The boy scrunched his nose and wiped his hand where his sister had kissed him. "Yuck, Stacy! Eww." She laughed brightly and twirled around the room excitedly.

Shortly after midnight, the weight of the day became too much for Stevie and Stacy. The twins fell asleep leaning against each other on the loveseat. Sam was the first to notice that the kids had fallen asleep.

"Rory," he whispered, pointing to where the two blondes were sleeping. "Look."

A wide smile spread across the brunette's face as he watched the children sleep.

"They're so adorable, Sam," he noted. "That's what I'm looking forward to most about the future."

"What's that, baby?" Sam asked affectionately.

"I want to have kids of my own someday. Maybe even kids of _our_ own," he explained. The longing in his voice was evident.

"You'll make a great dad someday, Rory. You're amazing with _them_ ," Sam said, gesturing to his siblings as examples. "I've never really thought about it. Someday, I imagine we'll have our own kids." The idea struck Sam, and a smile began to grace his features. He reached up to stroke his fingers across Rory's cheek. "I love you, Rory."

The Irish boy smiled widely and leaned into Sam's touch. "I love you, too."

Sam leaned forward and kissed Rory chastely before slapping his hands against his own thighs quietly. "Alright, you want to get Stacy and I'll get Stevie. We'll put them to bed and then, I think, we have to turn in too. We've got a long drive ahead of us tomorrow."

Rory sighed and nodded his assent. He didn't want to leave the Evans' house. He felt accepted and welcomed in their home. It wasn't like anything he had in Lima. He scooped the little girl into his arms. She unconsciously nuzzled into the crook of Rory's neck as he carried her to her bedroom, tucking her in and kissing her lightly on the forehead before tip-toeing out of the room.

By the time he made it down the hall to Sam's bedroom, the blonde was already in bed. He smiled when Rory entered and turned down his side of the bed, patting the mattress invitingly. Rory quickly stripped off his jeans, brushed his teeth, and crawled into bed. Sam pulled him into his arms immediately. Rory cuddled closer into his boyfriend's side, sighing contentedly as he rested his head against Sam's strong chest.

"What are your new year's resolutions?" Sam asked conversationally, sliding his hand idly across Rory's back.

"Hmm..." Rory said, thinking. "I want to try and get the courage to stand up to my father." Rory's voice turned a little sad.

"Baby, I don't know if there's much you can do-"

"I know, but I just want to know that I was strong enough to stand up to him for Seamus and my mammy."

"You _are_ strong, Rory. He's the weak one." He squeezed Rory tighter instinctively.

"Still...I just want everything to be okay again," Rory added, quiet sadness in his voice.

Suddenly, Rory's phone lit up on the nightstand, vibrating madly against the surface of the table. Rory lifted his head and checked the clock-it was two thirty in the morning. He reached out and grabbed the phone, checking the number of the caller.

"The number is from Ireland," he said, incredibly confused, pressing the button to answer the phone. He immediately put the call on speaker phone. "H-Hello?" he asked hesitantly.

"Rory?"

The brunette gasped audibly and his voice hitched in his throat. "Seamus!"  
"Hi, I can't talk long. I'm on my way to school. I'm calling from a phone box," he said hurriedly. "I just had to talk to you."

Tears were flowing freely down Rory's cheeks and a smile was stretched broadly across his face. "I love you so much, Seamus. I just _need_ you to know that. No matter what."

"I love you, too, Rory. No matter what. I didn't get a chance to say it before da came in last time. He broke my webcam, Rory," the boy's voice was indignant.  
"I'll buy you another one. It's my fault it got broken."

"It's not your fault, Rory," Sam said automatically.

"Is that your boyfriend, Rory?" Seamus asked.  
"Yes, that's my Sam," Rory said happily, lacing their fingers together.

The younger boy's voice was bright as he answered. "Hello, Sam. I'm glad that Rory has found someone who makes him happy. You seem like a very fine man."

Rory laughed freely. The sound resonated through Sam, warming him to the bone.

"Seamus," Sam asked. "Does your mother know that you're calling Rory?"  
"Yes, Sam. She was the one who gave me the money for the phone call," Seamus answered easily.

Rory's face lit up and another wave of relief swept over Sam. "Rory, mammy wanted me to tell you that she loves you and that she's going to call you as soon as she gets the chance. She misses you so much, Rory."

"Tell her how much I love her. Oh God, I miss you both so much," Rory said, longing plain in his voice.  
"I miss you, too. Oh...I have to go. I'm going to be late. I love you, Rory. It was nice to talk to you, Sam."  
"I love you, too, Seamus," Rory said, a smile on his face. "Goodbye. Call me again as soon as you can."  
"I will. I promise. Goodbye."

The phone disconnected and Rory pulled it close to his chest. Happy tears still streamed down his face, and his eyes were bright. "I can't believe it," Rory breathed.

Sam waited for him to continue, but he didn't. The blonde just kissed the top of his boyfriend's head and smiled. "I told you that your father wouldn't be able to keep Seamus away from you," he said quietly. A laughed sob shook Rory's body. Sam pulled him closer into his side and kissed his hair again.

The two just lay in comfortable silence, Rory falling asleep first. Sam traced his thumb across the smile on the sleeping boy's face, delighting in the fact that his boyfriend wasn't hurting anymore. He fell asleep soon after.

-xXxXx-

"Sammy, I don't want you to leave," Stacy cried, sniffling as she tightened her hold around her older brother's neck.

Sam shot Rory a helpless glance and he crossed the small living room to help his boyfriend comfort his sister. Sam shifted as he readjusted the little girl in his arms.

"Stacy," Rory soothed, rubbing a hand across her back. "We'll be back, love."

"B-But I don't want you to go," she whined, clearly on the verge of hysterics. She reached out for Rory and he took her into his arms. She squeezed tightly around his neck, burying her face into the crook of his neck.

Rory could see how difficult this was for Sam. Stevie stood a few feet away, stoically watching the scene, his eyes wet with unshed tears. Sam adored his siblings and seeing them so upset on his account was devastating. Rory reached down and took Sam's hand, squeezing gently.

Mr. Evans crossed the small room and clapped Sam on the shoulder. "Well, we hate to see you go, son, but you'd better leave now if you want to be home by dark."

A small sob escaped Stacy at her father's words. Rory automatically turned his head to whisper "shh" into her ear and press a kiss to the top of her hair. "We'll be back, sweetheart," he soothed. "And besides, we've got Clover with us. He's going to be riding in the truck with us all the way home, so all we have to do is look at him and we'll think of you. Okay?"

The little girl pulled her head from the crook of Rory's neck, looked at him, and nodded slowly. He used his free hand to wipe away her tears. She gave him a watery smile and leaned forward to kiss his cheek. "I'll miss you, Rory."

"I'll miss you, too, Stacy," he said, setting her on her feet.

Sam had walked over to say his farewells to his parents and Stevie. Rory crossed the room to say goodbye to his hosts and shake Stevie's hand. The little boy's face turned serious. "Rory, please take care of Sammy," he said, tears barely hidden behind his show of confidence.

"I will, Stevie," Rory promised, pulling the boy into his arms and squeezing quickly before pulling back to look toward Sam. "Ready to go?"

Sam nodded and set his little sister back on the ground. "I guess," he replied quietly.

"Goodbye, boys. Drive safely," Mrs. Evans said, opening the door. "You have to come back soon. Rory," she paused. The Irish boy turned around. "It was so nice to meet you. Sam is lucky to have someone as wonderful as you." She patted his cheek and smiled.

-xXxXx-

After spending two weeks with Sam around constantly, Rory wasn't handling _alone_ well. Sam had dropped Rory off at Brittany's before heading back to the Hudson-Hummel house. Rory had quickly thrown his dirty laundry in the washer to give himself something to do. Brittany and her parents weren't going to be back until Sunday night and it was only Friday. He sighed deeply and dropped down onto the couch, waiting until it was late enough to justify going to sleep. When he finally went to bed, he'd tossed and turned. There was too much room and not enough warmth in the bed; he missed having Sam's arms around him.

He fought the urge to text Sam and ask him to come over and hold him until he fell asleep. Sam had promised to help Mr. Hummel at the shop for the weekend, so Rory knew it was too risky for Sam to try and sneak out after being gone for so long, especially when Mr. Hummel was going to wake him up early. Rory hated the idea of not being able to see his boyfriend for two whole days. He sighed miserably and rolled over in his bed.

By the time Monday rolled around and it was time to go back to school, Rory was eager. He hadn't gotten to see Sam since he'd dropped him off on Friday. When Sam's truck pulled up outside to pick him up for school, Rory all but launched himself in the car, connecting his lips to Sam's immediately.

Sam laughed softly against Rory's lips. "I missed you, too, baby."

Rory pulled back and smiled brightly, leaning forward to give Sam a quick peck on the cheek before settling in and buckling his seat belt.

The day had passed quickly and before Rory knew it, it was time for glee club. He packed all this things in his locker and shut the door only to find Santana leaning against the face of the lockers, smiling at him. He couldn't remember Santana ever being nice to him before. Usually, his only interaction with Santana was when she was threatening him over what would happen if he even thought about coming into Brittany's bedroom while they were having one of their "ladies' nights".

"H-Hi, Santana," Rory said hesitantly.  
"Hello, Irish," she said brightly. "Coffee?" She held out a tall styrofoam cup. Rory took it tentatively. "I didn't poison it. Don't work yourself up into a potato eating frenzy." She rolled her eyes.  
"Thank you," Rory said, ignoring the last jibe. The two began to fall into step as they walked toward the choir room. "What's this all about, Santana?"  
"Well, I'll tell you. I'm not sure if your boytoy told you, but Sam and I used to date. I was the one who deflowered your boyfriend," she said, her tone condescending and sickeningly sweet.

"Yeah, I know that," Rory said, beginning to get annoyed. "What about it?"  
"Ol' Trouty Mouth hasn't been telling you the whole truth about his past," Santana said smugly.  
"No offense, but why do you care?" Rory asked. "You don't like me, and you've done nothing but try and make Sam miserable since you broke up."

"You're right. I don't like you, but you're Brittany's best friend. You look after her, and I respect you for that. I just want you to know what you're getting into."  
"Thank you, Santana, but Sam told me about what his family went through last year."

Rory sipped his coffee as the pair walked into the choir room, Sam jumping out of his seat and walking toward his boyfriend. He wanted to get him away from Santana as quickly as possible.

"So, Irish," Santana said conversationally. "Did Sam tell you what he used to do to make some quick cash? By the way, how do you like that coffee?"

Rory looked confused by the way she combined the questions. The coffee was good, the taste of coffee masked by something sweet that he couldn't quite identify. Sam was fuming beside him.

"I-It's good," he answered, perplexed.

"Yeah, it is, isn't it? It's coffee with a little bit of _white chocolate,"_ she said, her eyes drifting smugly to Sam.

A nervous silence fell over the members of the glee club. The atmosphere of the room was buzzing with awkwardness and anxiety.

"Santana," Sam warned, his voice rough and threatening.

"What? I'm just telling your boyfriend here how you got your spending money."

Rory turned to face Sam. "What's she talking about?" His face was screwed up in confusion. Sam was very much aware of all the eyes in the room on him.

"Can we talk about this later?" he asked his boyfriend desperately. "Please?"

Santana continued anyway. "I thought you just 'did what you had to do', Sam? Why are you ashamed to tell him you were shaking your cute little moneymaker at a strip joint?"

Rory's mouth fell open and his gaze locked onto Sam. Sam was still staring daggers at Santana.

"Sam," Rory asked, his voice barely a whisper. "Is that true?"  
The blonde quickly turned to face his boyfriend. "Rory, I-" he started.  
Rory just shook his head and pushed the cup of coffee toward Santana before turning to swiftly leave the room. The cup landed at her feet, flooding over her white sneakers with a satisfying splash.

"Why would you _do_ that, Santana?" Sam asked, his voice a mix of exasperation and fury. He quickly ran out after his boyfriend.

* * *


	10. Trouble

"Rory, wait," Sam called as he spotted the boy walking quickly toward the double doors leading to the parking lot.

Rory spun on his heel to face Sam.

"I've _never_ been so embarrassed in my life!" Rory shouted at Sam, his hands balled into tight fists at his sides.

Sam stopped, dead in his tracks. "Rory, what Santana said-" Sam started.

"I thought you trusted me!" Rory said, his voice angry and edging toward hysterics.

"I do trust-"

Rory cut him off. "Then why did I have to hear that from _her_?" He gestured sharply in the direction of the choir room. "If you trust me then why didn't I hear it from you?"

"Because I'm not exactly _proud_ of what I did, Rory," Sam said, frustrated, throwing his arms up grandly.

"I've told you _everything_ about myself, Sam. Everything. And you _clearly_ don't trust me very much if you thought that I was going to break up with you over something that you _had_ to do to support your family. I'm really hurt, Sam. Is that honestly what you think of me?"

Sam was frozen, wracking his brain for a way to respond to Rory's question.

"Your silence speaks volumes, Sam," Rory said sadly as he turned to walk away.

Something about Rory walking away triggered Sam's defensive side. It wasn't Rory's fault. Santana had publicly embarrassed him by telling him something that Sam should have told him a long time ago. He had no right, none of this was Rory's fault, but before Sam could stop himself, he snapped out, "Yeah, if we tell each other everything, then why haven't you bothered to tell me what you plan to do when it's time for you to go home? Where the hell are you going to stay? Your father will _kill_ you if you go back to your house."

Rory froze, his shoulders falling sharply as the breath rushed out of his lungs. Sam couldn't believe what he had just said. Though the thought of Rory leaving had plagued him every day, it had been an unspoken rule not to discuss it. He regretted the words as soon as they left his mouth. He realized immediately that he'd just hurt his boyfriend in the worst possible way.

Rory turned his head to look over his shoulder at Sam, his eyes filled with tears. There was no anger anywhere on his face, replaced entirely by sadness.

"Rory, I'm-" Sam tried.

The brunette just shook his head, tears beginning to fall, and threw open the door. He let the door close behind him before he started running. He just wanted to be as far away from the school as possible.

Sam stood frozen in the hallway. His hands flew up to grab fistfuls of his hair. Anger quickly overwhelmed him. He had never been more pissed off at himself in his life.

" _Fuck,"_ he yelled loudly, lunging forward and punching the face of the locker. The crashing, metallic sound reverberated through the empty hallway.

His knuckles protested when he tangled the hand back into his hair. He realized somewhere in the back of his mind that he'd _probably_ just broken his hand, but he didn't care. He had to get to Rory. He'd screwed up, bad, and now he had to fix it.

-xXxXx-

Rory knew that Sam would be looking for him soon, so he locked the door behind him as he ran inside Brittany's house. He threw his bag down in the living room and bolted for his bedroom. He threw himself down on his bed and buried his face in the pillow, letting his emotions pull him under.

He had never known that Sam was capable of hurting him in that way. He had done his best not to think about having to go home, and Sam had thrown it in his face that he didn't even have a home to go to. And, to top it all off, Sam hadn't even trusted him enough to tell him about his past. Did he think Rory was so fickle that he'd leave over something that he had to do to support his family? Another wave of hysterics washed over him.

Somewhere in his mind, Rory recognized the sound of Sam's truck idling briefly in the driveway before being shut off. He covered his head with his pillow and willed him to go away. The sudden pounding of a fist on the Pierce's front door only made Rory sob harder. He heard his name being called through the door. Sam's voice sounded urgent and pleading.

A war raged in Rory's mind. He begged internally for Sam to just leave, but a part of him wanted to curl up in Sam's strong arms and cry himself out.

The pounding stopped and Rory breathed a sad sigh of relief. He curled into himself and let misery take him. A clattering sound too close was enough to make him look up. Sam had slid open his window and was climbing inside. Rory didn't have the strength to protest as a fresh wave of tears flooded his eyes when he saw Sam, their conversation flashing back into his mind.

"Thank God you're here! I looked everywhere!" Sam said, sad relief coloring his tone. "I was getting worried, I looked all over-"

"S-Sam, get out," Rory pleaded weakly. Sam ignored him and crossed the small room to kneel next to the bed.

"No. Rory, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean it. I shouldn't have said anything about you going home. I wasn't thinking. I hurt you, and that kills me. I'm sorry. I should have told you everything about my past, but I didn't, because I was ashamed," Sam said in a rush. He steadied himself and continued, slower. "But, I already feel like I'm not good enough for you, like you deserve better. I just couldn't bear to tell you about _that_ and have you realize that you could do so much better than me." Tears began to fall from Sam's eyes as the lull turned into an agonizing silence. "Please, say something, Rory."

Rory looked up toward Sam, and the blonde's breath hitched in his throat as he saw Rory's tortured face. "I'm so sorry," Sam said again automatically, struck again by his own stupidity. Rory would never know how badly it hurt Sam to see him this way, especially knowing that he was the cause. It was all his fault. He reached up to touch Rory's cheek, but he flinched away from the touch. Sam's heart shattered. "I love you, Rory. I hate this. Please, just talk to me."

"I-I don't know what to say, Sam," he said sadly, pulling himself up into a sitting position and wiping his eyes. He couldn't handle the tension anymore. Rory looked into Sam's eyes and felt himself soften. He couldn't bear the pained expression on Sam's face.

"Just say anything. Say you don't hate me. Say you still love me. Just, please, say _something_."

Rory wanted to be mad. He wanted to yell at Sam, tell him how much his words had hurt, and how mortified he was to have heard that secret from Santana, but the broken expression on Sam's face took all the fire out of him. He sighed and straightened up, looking into his green eyes.

"Of course I still love you, Sam." Rory reached for Sam's hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. The blonde sighed deeply, letting out a breath he hadn't even realized he'd been holding. "I'm just...hurt. Think about how it made me feel to have to hear about something like that from someone who doesn't even like me," he said, his voice soft and quiet.

Finally, Sam had something to work with. "I'm so sorry for not telling you, Rory."

After hearing Sam's explanation, he couldn't find it inside himself to be upset anymore. "It's okay. I understand. I just _really_ wish I would have heard it from you instead of Santana."

"I'll never keep anything else from you, ever. I swear," Sam said with fervent honesty, squeezing Rory's hand. He sighed again and continued with his apology. "Rory, what I said you leaving...I shouldn't have said that. I was angry, and I-"

"Sam, it's okay. You were right. We need to talk about these things, no matter how painful they are."

"But I shouldn't have-"

"You're right. You shouldn't have brought it up like that. It was very hurtful," Rory said plainly. Sam dropped his head, shamed. "But, it is something we need to discuss."

"We don't have to talk about it now, Rory. I only said that because I was angry," Sam muttered, looking at his feet.

"But, I do want to talk about it, now that it's come up." Rory slid over and patted the space next to him. "Sit?"

Sam nodded woodenly and sat down next to Rory. Even though he had been the one to bring it up, he hadn't wanted to have this conversation.

"Sam," he started, taking both of the blonde's hands into his own and looking pointedly into his eyes. "I don't know what I'm going to do when it's time for me to leave. I have nowhere to go. I just feel..." he trailed off, thinking. "Lost." Rory's voice was colored with sadness.

"I can't imagine how hard this is for you," Sam sympathized. "But, I'm here for you, Rory. Always."

"I know you are, Sammy," Rory said quietly, some of the pain evaporated from voice at Sam's reassurance. "I want to talk to you about this, but I honestly don't know what I'm going to do yet."

"I'll be here when you figure it out, baby," Sam promised. "Whatever it is, we can handle it. I'll support you. No matter what."

A small smile touched Rory's face. "I love you, Sam."

"I love you, too, Rory. I don't ever want to fight again. I'm so sorry."

"I know. I hated that fight," Rory said quickly, his tone softening and losing its pained edge. He leaned forward to capture Sam's lips and tangle his arms around the blonde's neck, kissing him with a passionate sweetness that emanated from deep inside.

After a moment, Sam unwound his boyfriend's arms and gently pushed him onto his back, positioning himself above him and reconnecting their lips. When Sam pulled away slightly, Rory lifted a hand to brush the shaggy blonde hair out of his eyes. Sam's heart clenched at the beaming smile on Rory's face. Sam ducked his head down so that his lips were brushing against his boyfriend's ear. "God, you're so beautiful, Rory," Sam whispered roughly, breath ghosting out hotly against Rory's sensitive skin. He shuddered delicately at the warmth, a quiet moan escaping his lips. He wrapped his arms back around Sam's neck, connecting their lips urgently.

The front door of the house slammed shut and voices began to drift through the closed door of Rory's bedroom. The Irish boy stiffened abruptly at the sound.

"What's the matter, babe?" Sam asked, confused, as Rory pushed him away.

"No, I have to check on Rory. He was really upset, Santana," Brittany's voice was concerned and growing closer to Rory's bedroom. Rory growled quietly, taking Sam aback. He'd never seen Rory angry before, but fury was radiating off him. A soft knock on the door was followed by Brittany's tentative voice. "Rory?"

Sam grabbed Rory's wrist as his boyfriend threw his legs over the edge of the bed. "Don't, Rory." He wrenched his arm free and went to pull open the door. Brittany's hand was still raised to knock again. She faltered back a step as she took in Rory's furious expression.

"Rory, are you-"

"I'm fine, Brittany. Thank you," he said as cordially as he could manage before spinning on Santana. She stood with her arms crossed in front of her chest, smug.

"So," she said, peering through the open door and seeing Sam on the bed. "I see you made up with Mr. Chippendale."

"Santana..." Brittany chided softly.

"No, Brittany. Let me handle this." His voice was low and furious. "You listen to me, Santana, I love Sam, and I don't know what you have against him or against _us,_ but if you _ever_ try to come between us again, you will be very, very sorry." The smugness fell from Santana's face as Rory took a step toward her, raising a finger to her face. "It's one thing to insult me. God knows you do it all the time, but if you think for _one second_ that I'm going to sit by while you put Sam down, you've got another thing coming, ma'am," Rory bit out.

Sam quickly threw himself off the bed to come to Rory's side, putting a hand on his shoulder. Sam could feel Rory trembling with his anger beneath his hand.

"Calm down, Irish," Santana said, condescension in her voice. "If you're okay gettin' it on with a man-whore then more power to you, but I-"

"Stop right there, Santana," Rory said, shaking his finger in her face. "I admire the fact that Sam did whatever he had to do to support his family. Do you think he _enjoyed_ doing that? No! He did it because he loves his little brother and sister. It's called sacrifice, and it comes with being selfless. Maybe if you weren't so _fucking_ self-absorbed, you might see that."

Shock flitted across Santana's face as she stood frozen, unable to think of a witty, biting remark. Rory continued, raising his voice slightly.

"I am proud of Sam for everything he's done to make sure that his siblings had the best childhood they could possibly have. And, from what I've seen, he's done a damn good job of it. So, you can just move on and be a bitch to someone else, because Sam doesn't deserve your abuse, so I won't allow it."

Santana stared, wide-eyed as Rory called her out. He was done with the conversation and wanted Santana out of his sight. Brittany stood with a look of sad shock on her face. He leaned forward to kiss her quickly on the cheek, giving her arm a light squeeze to reassure her that none of his anger was directed at her before he slammed the door in Santana's stunned face, locked it, and spun around to face Sam.

The expression on Sam's face was enough to drain the anger from Rory and replace it with a new kind of fire.

"Sam, what's-"

He was cut off abruptly by Sam's lips surging forward to meet his own. He dropped his hands to Rory's hips to lift him off his feet. Rory wrapped his legs around Sam's waist, deepening the kiss. Sam walked them backward toward the bed. They collapsed onto the mattress together and Sam began grinding his hips roughly into Rory's, eliciting shuddering moans from the younger boy.

"Somebody's excited," Rory said shakily as Sam's lips left his own to trail down his neck.

"Oh my God, Rory," Sam mumbled against his skin. "Seeing you stand up to Santana like that was _so_ hot!"

"I meant every word of what I said."

"I know." Sam kissed his way along Rory's jaw. "The way you stood up for me..." Another kiss. "I love you so much!"

Rory had been about to return Sam's _I love you,_ but he was quickly interrupted by Sam bringing their mouths back together. The blonde slid his hand under Rory's shirt, caressing the skin of his chest and stomach, before pulling it off over his head. Rory removed Sam's in turn. The two quickly parted ways with the remainder of their clothes.

Sam's full lips moved insistently against Rory's smaller ones as he took the younger boy's erection into his hand and began pumping it slowly. Rory squirmed underneath him, reaching down to take Sam into his hand, causing him to whine needily against Rory's lips.

"So good, baby," he moaned brokenly. "D-Don't stop."

Sam dropped his head to the crook of Rory's neck, kissing frantically at any skin within his reach. Knowing Sam was close, Rory increased his rhythm and Sam began to fall apart. The sight of Sam coming undone at his hands was almost enough to throw Rory over the edge. Sam's hand still worked urgently, fisting Rory's length quickly. His thumb swiped over the slit, collecting the slick liquid pooled there. Rory whimpered as he watched Sam's hands working him over.

"Oh God, Rory," Sam moaned, his breath hitching. "I'm so close. Please...Please don't stop." He arched his hips closer to Rory's body, pressing their bodies impossibly closer.

Rory felt the heat inside him threatening to spill over at any moment. Sam quickened his stroke and Rory moaned Sam's name loudly as he felt his release crash over him.

As he came down from his high, he turned his head to whisper roughly into Sam's ear, "Let go, Sam. Come for me." Sam gasped and whined brokenly as hips began thrusting into Rory's fist desperately, his seed starting to spill across Rory's hand. "That's it, baby," Rory urged as he felt his fingers become coated. Sam moaned, a weak breathless sound, and kissed Rory's shoulder appreciatively.

"That was..." Sam scrambled for words, pressing another soft kiss to his boyfriend's shoulder.

"Incredible," Rory finished, reaching down to the floor and grabbing his shirt to clean them up, before tossing it toward the direction of the dirty clothes hamper.

"You have _no_ idea how sexy you are sometimes, Rory," Sam laughed quietly.

Rory beamed in response, kissing Sam on the lips. "I love you."

"I love you, too," Sam said, smiling widely, pulling a blanket over himself and Rory. "Do you think we have time for a quick nap before Brittany's parents get home?"

"Definitely," Rory said happily, snuggling into Sam's side and resting his head against Sam's heated chest.

Sam wrapped his arm around his boyfriend's shoulders and buried his nose in his hair, humming quietly until he felt Rory's breathing slip into the peaceful, even rhythm of sleep. He lay in bed just watching Rory sleep, thanking the powers that be for bringing such a beautiful person into his life.


	11. Promise

After Rory woke up, Sam eventually convinced him that it would be a good idea for them to put their clothes back on. They rolled out of bed and dressed slowly.

They settled back onto the bed to watch _The Nightmare Before Christmas._ Rory had fallen hopelessly in love with the movie after watching it at Sam's. After the first time they'd watched it, Rory had made Sam put on it on every night before they went to sleep. Rory had said that it always made him feel better, so Sam couldn't find it in himself to refuse Rory's request. They would cuddle in bed and Sam would sing the soundtrack quietly in Rory's ear as the movie played.

About halfway through the movie there was a quiet, tentative rapping on the door.

"Who is it?" Rory asked, raising his voice to be heard.

"It's me," Brittany answered shyly.

Rory smiled and invited her to come in.

She walked wordlessly over to the bed, sitting down on the very edge next to Rory. She dropped her head sadly. Rory's face screwed up in concern. "What's the matter, Brittany?"

She looked up at him nervously. "Are you mad at me, Rory Leprechaun?"

Rory sat up quickly and slid to her side. He smiled at her and reached down to take her hand, linking their pinkies. She watched the gesture and looked up at Rory's face, her eyes now bright, and a smile spread widely across her face.

"Of course I'm not mad at you, Brittany. You didn't do anything wrong. If it hadn't been for you, I wouldn't have talked to Sam in the first place. I could _never_ be mad at you," he said brightly, hoping to reassure.

"I wish Santana hadn't said that. I love that you and Sam are happy together. He makes you smile, and that makes me smile," she offered, her voice kind.

"You're a very good friend to Rory, Brit," Sam said appreciatively. "And that makes _me_ smile."

Brittany's face lit up at the compliment. Rory leaned back into Sam, pulling Brittany down and wrapping his arms around her.

"I love you, Rory Leprechaun," she said sweetly, resting her head against his shoulder.

"I love you, too, Brittany." He squeezed her tightly.

The three close together and watched the remainder of the movie in friendly silence.

-xXxXx-

Nearly a month passed without incident, aside from the usual, almost comical glee club drama. Sam and Rory managed to keep themselves out of it and instead spent all their time together. What Rory didn't know was that Sam had been spending every spare second planning his surprise for Rory's rapidly approaching birthday.

Rory had been sleeping when Sam snuck in his bedroom; it was just before six in the morning on a Saturday. Sam had barely slept the night before due to his excitement. He wanted to watch Rory sleeping peacefully for a moment longer, but his own impatience quickly won out over that desire. He tiptoed to the edge of Rory's bed, a bed he'd only left himself a few hours prior. There was a deep satisfaction in holding Rory as he fell asleep and then being able to be there as he woke.

He stroked his fingers lightly across Rory's cheek and spoke softly. "Hey, Rory. Wake up, sweetheart."

His blue eyes slowly fluttered open. Sam's breath hitched at the beautiful vulnerability of the moment. "Sammy?" he asked sleepily.

Sam smiled and slid his thumb over the apple of Rory's cheek. "Yeah, baby, it's me." His quiet voice was filled with hushed affection. "Come on, I've got a surprise for you. Do you know what day it is?"

Rory didn't answer, but a wide, knowing smile spread across his face. Sam couldn't help but return it.

Sam helped him out of bed and handed him his shoes. Confusion flitted across Rory's face, but Sam just continued to smile at him, pointing toward the shoes insistently. Rory giggled quietly and slipped them on.

"I brought you a coat," Sam said, taking the jacket he had draped over his arm and offering it to Rory, holding it open so he could easily slide his arms in the sleeves. Sam knew that Rory had a coat, but he also knew that it was hanging on the coat rack in the living room. He convinced himself that, for the sake of secrecy, he should bring a coat for him to wear, but he knew it was a lie. He just wanted an excuse to see Rory in his Letterman jacket.

He straightened out the front of the jacket before pulling Rory in for a kiss. He leaned down to whisper into Rory's ear. "Beautiful."

Rory beamed in response. Nothing made Sam feel better than to see Rory's response to compliments. The Irish boy's cheeks always flushed an endearing pink, and he'd cast his sparkling blue eyes toward the floor shyly.

"Alright," Sam said, determined. "We've got to go or else we'll miss it."

"Miss what?" Rory asked as Sam helped him climb out his window.

"The sunrise," Sam replied, helping Rory get steady on his feet.

Rory's heart fluttered. No one had ever done anything romantic for him before, except Sam. Even though Sam was a hopeless romantic, this was a personal best. Sam took Rory's hand and laced their fingers together as he lead them toward his idling truck, parked a safe distance away from the house. He opened Rory's door before heading to the driver's side.

"Where are we going?" Rory asked excitedly.

"I know a spot overlooking the lake. The sunrise is so beautiful there."

"Sam, this is perfect. Thank you. So much," Rory said incredulously.

"Well, watching the sunrise together is only one part of your birthday surprise," Sam said teasingly.

Rory bounced anxiously in his seat as Sam parked the car and shut off the engine. The gods were smiling on Sam because the morning had turned out to be unseasonably mild—around forty-five degrees.

Rory looked at Sam with confusion as he watched him getting out of the truck. The blonde walked around to Rory's side and opened the door.

"Come on," he prompted, reaching for Rory's hand. "I've got a blanket in the bed of the truck."

Rory smiled and took Sam's hand, allowing himself to be led around to the back of the truck and helped into the bed. Sam climbed up and slid back so that his back was resting against the metal of the cab. He pulled Rory into his arms and covered them both with a thick blanket. Rory snuggled against Sam's side.

"Oh," Sam said suddenly. "I almost forgot..." he trailed off, reaching into the toolbox sitting next to them and grabbing a thermos and two tall styrofoam cups. "I figured it'd be chilly out, so I brought coffee." He poured a cup for Rory and handed it to him before pouring one for himself and screwing the lid back on the container.

Rory held his cup between both hands, warming them with the radiant heat. "Sam, this is amazing. I've never been so happy in my entire life," he breathed, his voice full of emotional sentiment.

"That's all I want. I just want you to be happy, baby," Sam answered, pressing a kiss to the top of his hair.

The sun began to rise over the water making it sparkle as the light of the new day reflected off it. The sky brightened to shades of orange and purple before turning into a light, clear, cloudless blue. The pair sat quietly enjoying the beauty of the morning for a moment before Sam shifted slightly and began subtly fishing around in the toolbox for part two of Rory's present. The Irish boy didn't even notice Sam's distraction.

Sam wrapped his arm back around Rory's shoulder. Rory was completely taken by surprise when a small, velvet box appeared in front of his face. His mouth fell open dramatically.

"S-Sam...is that...?" Rory asked, dumbstruck.

"Uh-huh. It's a promise ring." Sam said, kissing Rory on the cheek before continuing. Rory's eyes were glued to the box in front of him. "I love you more than I've ever loved anyone or anything in my life. I want to give you this as a promise that I'll always love you, and I will never hurt you. I'll be here to support you. No matter what." He opened the box to reveal a shiny silver ring with a dark gray accent band stamped into the middle of the silver. Rory just continued to stare, a tear slid down his stunned face.

Sam took his hand and kissed each of his fingers before putting the band onto Rory's left ring finger. All at once, in a fraction of a second, Rory threw his arms around Sam and kissed him deeply, tears streaming silently down his face. The older boy broke the kiss, breathless, and rested his forehead against Rory's.

"Happy Birthday, Rory," he said quietly. "I love you more than you'll ever know."

"Sammy..." Rory breathed incredulously. It was all he could say, but it was enough. Sam understood the meaning behind the breathless whisper, and his face lit up into an Earth-shifting smile.

Too soon afterward, Sam had to take Rory back to the Pierce's. He helped the younger boy back through the window to his bedroom before climbing in behind him. Rory dragged him the rest of the way through the window and wrapped his arms around him tightly, almost tightly enough to knock the wind out of him. The blonde laughed quietly at the sudden show of affection.

"Sam, you have no idea how much this means to me," Rory said, his voice thick with emotion. "This has been the best day of my life, and the day has barely even started yet," he laughed, burying his face in Sam's neck to muffle the sound. "I love you so much and this ring is the best present I've ever gotten. I promise that I will _always_ love you and be there for you. Forever," he said earnestly. "You make everything worthwhile."

Sam swallowed thickly at the implications behind the words, his heart flying as he weighed the meaning. He meant enough to Rory to make losing the approval of his father, separation from his family, and constant bullying at school worth it. Sam smiled and took Rory's face into his hands, holding him still in order to press a soft kiss to his lips. "I love you, Rory, so much."

Rory lifted his arms to snake around the back of Sam's neck and was about to kiss him when the sound of clattering coming from the kitchen made them both jump.

"Oh man, I've gotta go," Sam said quickly. "Get back in bed."

Rory crossed the small room, toeing off his shoes on the way, and threw himself into his bed. Sam quickly pulled the blankets up around him and kissed his forehead. "I'll be back around noon, okay?"

"Okay, Sammy," he said brightly, his eyes still sparkling. Sam was this close to saying 'to hell with it' and climbing into bed next to Rory just to hold him. "I love you."

Sam leaned down to kiss him again. "I love you, too." He smiled and brushed a stray lock of hair from Rory's forehead before turning to leave.

"Wait," Rory said, his hushed voice urgent. Sam turned around to see Rory sitting up to shrug out of his jacket.

"You forgot your jacket."

Sam grinned devilishly. "Oh, I didn't forget. Happy Birthday, baby."

Rory watched Sam climb out the window. He clutched the blonde's Letterman jacket close to his chest as he lay back down, reveling in the way that it smelled like Sam. He held up his left hand to survey the promise ring he'd been given, smiling at the way the light glinted off the polished silver band.

Despite everything that had gone wrong in his life recently, Rory couldn't find it within himself to be sad today. The way Sam loved him made him feel warm down to the core and now he had a constant reminder of that love wrapped delicately around his ring finger. He yawned widely as the weight of not enough sleep began to press down on him. He clutched Sam's jacket close and fell back to sleep.

-xXxXx-

"Rory Leprechaun! Wake up!"

He cracked his eyes open to look at the display on his alarm clock—9:13 A.M. Brittany bounded across the room and jumped into bed beside him, wrapping her arms around him from the back. "Today's your birthday," she pointed out.

"Is it?" Rory asked, smiling brightly.

"Yep. But, it looks like someone beat me to being the first to wish you a Happy Birthday," she teased, eyeing the jacket that Rory was still clinging to. Brittany was the only one who knew about Sam's secret nightly visits. She'd walked in on them on more than one occasion. "What did he give you?" she asked, always nosy.

Rory sat up and launched into a descriptive account of his entire morning with Sam.

"Wait," she said quickly, throwing her arms in front of her as if stopping traffic. "He gave you a ring?" She reached down and grabbed Rory's hand, covering her mouth with her other hand as she saw the band on his finger.

"Yep, it's a promise ring," Rory answered excitedly. He told Brittany what Sam had said when he gave him the ring. She cooed and pulled him in for a hug.

"Brittany, Rory," Mrs. Pierce called loudly from the kitchen. "Breakfast is ready!"

The remainder of the morning seemed to drag by. Rory sat, staring at his clock, waiting for noon. His phone rang and he'd answered it quickly, assuming it was Sam announcing that he was on his way over.

"Hello?" he greeted.

"Rory?" a feminine voice asked. Rory's heart flew into overdrive.

"Mammy?" he asked. It was a stupid question; he knew it was his mother. Tears began pouring from his eyes.

"My little love! How are you?"

"I'm amazing, mammy," he answered honestly. "I'm so happy to hear your voice. I miss you so much!"

"I miss you, too, love. I had to call and wish you a Happy Birthday. It's the first one in sixteen years that I haven't gotten to hug you," she said, her voice colored with disappointment. "I hope you're having fun in America."

"Oh, mammy, I am..." he trailed off as his bedroom door opened. Sam stuck his head in, surprised to see Rory crying and smiling at the same time. He didn't even notice the phone stuck to his ear.

"Are you okay, baby?" he asked, concerned. Rory gestured to the phone as an explanation. He pulled it away from his ear and put it on speakerphone. Sam came to sit on the bed.

"Sorry, mam, Sam just got here," he apologized for the lull.

"It's okay, love," she said brightly. "Did he get you anything special for your birthday?" she asked, unaware that Sam could hear her.

"Yes, ma'am, I did," Sam answered. He handed Rory a box wrapped in Christmas wrapping paper. Rory looked at him confused, and Sam shrugged. "Sorry, Rory, I had leftover paper," he said sheepishly. "Open it!" he insisted.

"Sam already gave me a present earlier," Rory told his mother. "He gave me a ring and..."

"A ring?" she asked, her voice an octave higher with excitement. "Rory Daniel Flanagan, you better hang on to that boy!"

Rory's face flushed at the use of his full name. Sam smiled and looked at him. "I didn't know your middle name was Daniel," he said, teasing. Mrs. Flanagan laughed over the phone.

Rory batted at his shoulder and started unwrapping the new gift. His face lit up as he saw what the present was. "Sam bought me a CD, mam!" he said excitedly, turning over the jewel case to read the front. It was the soundtrack to _The Nightmare Before Christmas_. "Oh, Sammy, I love it! Thank you, so much!" He leaned forward and kissed Sam quickly on the lips.

"It sounds like that boy is very good to you," Mrs. Flanagan noted.

"I love him, mammy. So much," Rory admitted. "He makes me so happy."

"That's all that matters then, little love," she said earnestly. "If he makes you happy then he's okay by me."

"You have no idea how much that means to me, Mrs. Flanagan," Sam said, squeezing Rory's hand. "I love your son more than anything else in the world."

"Just take care of him, Sam," she said lightly. "Lord knows he can't take care of himself."

Sam grinned at his boyfriend. Rory's cheeks were flushed bright red. Sam slid his thumb along Rory's chin, lifting his face until he was looking into his bright blue eyes when he said, "I promise, I'll take care of him."

"Good," she replied. "I like you, Sam. I'd love it if you came over with Rory this summer when he comes home."

Rory's head shot up, his eyes wide. "Mam, do you mean it? What about da?"

Mrs. Flanagan sighed aloud and thought her answer through before responding. "We'll think of something, darling. I promise. You'll always be my baby, and I'll be damned if he's going to keep you out of this house." Her voice was determined.

"I love you, mammy," Rory said, emotion clear in his voice. "I miss you so much!"

"I love you, too, Rory. It's not the same without you here. Seamus is lonely."

"I know," Rory said, his head dropping slightly. "Tell him that I miss him so much and that I love him, too."

"I will, love. I have to go. I will call you again soon, okay?"

"Okay, mammy," Rory answered. "I love you."

"I love you, too. Happy Birthday, love. And, Sam," she said. "It was very nice to finally talk to you."

"You too, Mrs. Flanagan. Thank you for being so supportive of Rory. He's lucky to have a mother like you."

"Thank you, Sam. He's my baby and that's all there is to it. I love him no matter what."

Rory's face lit up, his eyes sparkling.

"Goodbye, boys," his mother said easily.

"Bye," Sam and Rory replied in unison.

The phone disconnected. Rory turned to face Sam, his trademark heart-stopping smile spread widely across his face.

Sam pulled him into his arms and kissed him happily. He could even feel Rory's smile as he pressed their lips together.

The two stretched out on the bed and spent the afternoon alternating between spirited conversation and companionable silence.

The Pierce's had the traditional birthday cake and ice cream. They even relented and, since it was Rory's birthday, decided that Sam could spend the night.

Sam called Burt to ask him for permission. He'd been less than thrilled, but, like the Pierce's, he too gave in because it was Rory's birthday. Rory rode along with Sam to the Hudmel house to get some clothes and pack an overnight bag.

Finn and Kurt attacked Rory as soon as he walked through the door. He tried to run, but Kurt headed him off as he tried to go through the door to the kitchen, grabbing him long enough for Finn to get his arms around him and pin him down. They then proceeded to sing Happy Birthday at the top of their voices while violently shaking him. Sam wanted to help but literally didn't have the strength to move; he was laughing too hard. Rory just looked like a giggling rag doll, laughing until his stomach hurt.

Sam left Rory to his fate and went to quickly toss some things in his backpack to take back with him to the Pierce's. He jumped slightly when Rory snuck up behind him and snaked his arms around his waist. Sam turned around in Rory's arms and kissed him softly on the lips before slipping out of his hold to finish packing.

Rory dropped down on his bed and watched as Sam busied himself with packing. The blonde pulled open his top drawer to grab a spare pair of boxer briefs, and a glimpse of something blue caught his eyes, reminding him of something he wanted to tell Rory.

He picked it up and turned around to face the younger boy.

"Think fast," he said, tossing the blue object toward Rory. He caught it right before it hit him in the nose. "I got that in the mail yesterday. It cost me a fortune but I got it."

"Sam, you got a passport?" Rory asked, slightly confused. "Why?"

"Because, I promised you that, whenever you needed me, I'd be there. Well, if you were in Ireland, I couldn't very well get _there_ without a passport."

"You did that for _me_?" he asked as if the answer wasn't completely obvious. Everything Sam did was for Rory.

"Of course I did," Sam said sweetly, sliding onto the bed next to Rory. "I made a promise that I intend to keep."

"Thank you, Sam," Rory said, leaning forward to press his small lips against Sam's full ones. "You're amazing."

Sam tossed the bag in the back of the truck and opened Rory's door, waiting for the boy to get inside the truck before closing it behind him and climbing in the driver's side.

Rory chattered excitedly about how much Sam would love Ireland and how he couldn't wait to show him around his town. They were close to Brittany's house on a deserted back road when Sam got an idea. He pulled the truck to the side of the road, earning a confused look from Rory.

"Okay, so, I don't know how it is in Ireland, but in America, you can get your license on your sixteenth birthday. Since you're here in America to get the full experience, I want you to drive the rest of the way to Brittany's."

"What?" Rory asked, excitement creeping into his voice. "I can't drive in America. You guys drive on the wrong side of the road."

Sam laughed at the irony of Rory's words. He'd never considered how foreign things seemed to Rory. "You can do it. It's not very far. This truck is an automatic, so you don't even have to shift. Just...don't kill us," Sam laughed, leaning across the cab to kiss Rory. "Alright, come on," he said, awkwardly shifting to trade places with Rory.

The Irish boy clicked his seat belt on with shaky hands.

"Have you ever driven before?" Sam asked calmly.

Rory shook his head. "Well, I tried once, but mam said I scared her to death, and she wouldn't let me try anymore." He laughed freely at the memory.

"It's okay. You can do it," Sam said, sure. "Alright, put it in drive."

Rory struggled, furrowing his brow adorably as he tried to move the gearshift. Sam laughed as he realized the problem. "Babe, you need to hold down the brake as you shift out of park."

" _Oh,_ " Rory said sheepishly, his voice almost inaudible. Sure enough, that had been the hold up. "Now what?" he asked.

"Let off the brake and slowly give it some gas," Sam answered.

Suddenly the car lurched forward before stopping just as abruptly. Sam stifled a laugh. "Too much gas."

Rory turned his head to glare at him.

Sam continued. "Try it again. Use the tip of your shoe to push the pedal down," he instructed.

This time the start was much smoother. "Alright, get us on the road now."

Rory steered to the left and piloted the truck onto the road. After a helpful reminder that Americans drive on the _right_ side of the road, Rory was doing well, even if he was white-knuckling the steering wheel and going a grand total of twenty miles per hour.

Brittany's house was visible in the distance and Sam explained that Rory needed to slow down and turn on his turn signal before turning into her driveway. Sam flinched as Rory narrowly avoided wiping out her mailbox. He stopped the truck, put it in park, and killed the engine.

"And, that's how you drive in America, Rory."

Rory turned to face Sam, his eyes sparkling with pure joy. "I did it!"

"You did it," Sam mimicked happily, smiling widely. He leaned across the seat and captured Rory's lips. "I love you, Rory."

"I love you, too, Sammy," he said brightly.

Sam climbed out of the truck and grabbed his bag out of the back, crossing to the front of the truck to take Rory's hand. The two walked to the front door, already talking and giggling about what they were planning to do as soon as they were inside Rory's bedroom.


	12. Accidents

A week after Rory's birthday and Sam was already busy planning a Valentine's Day surprise. This one, however, had him stumped. After spending all his money on a passport and a ring, he was left with next to nothing. He just stared into the empty envelope that usually contained his savings before tucking it back inside his sock drawer and sighing dramatically.

Kurt appeared in the open doorway to Sam's bedroom.

"What's the matter, Sam?" Kurt asked kindly, entering the room.

"God, I spent all my money on Rory's ring and my passport. I'm not going to have enough to get him anything for Valentine's Day," Sam answered mournfully.

"Sam, you know you don't actually have to _buy_ him anything. He'd be fine with just watching a movie together. That's what Blaine and I are doing," Kurt said, trying to reassure.

"I know, but it's our first Valentine's Day together, and I really want to make it special."

"Sam," Kurt said, playfully. "You could do _anything_ and he'd love it, because he loves _you_ so much."

The blonde smiled widely at Kurt. The slender boy patted Sam on the shoulder and walked out of the room.

-xXxXx-

Rory was toweling his hair dry as he walked into his bedroom. He went over to his dresser and pulled on a pair of boxer briefs. His phone beeped from his nightstand alerting him of a missed message. He'd missed a call from his mother. She'd called nearly every day since his birthday. He padded over to the phone and dialed his voicemail.

His mother's voice was frantic. He could tell she was crying.

_"Rory, you need to come home! Immediately! Seamus has been in an accident. Call me as soon as you get this message!"_

Rory's breath caught in his throat. He dialed his home phone number urgently; there was no answer. He tried his mother's cell phone, again receiving no answer.

He began to hyperventilate and quickly dialed Sam's number.

All Sam could make out was "Seamus" and "accident" through Rory's panic. He grabbed his coat and drove at warp speed to the Pierce's, letting himself in the front door, and proceeding directly to Rory's room.

He opened the door and saw Rory sitting on the floor with his knees pulled tightly to his chest, hands over his face. The hitching sobs coming from deep inside the Irish boy sounded almost painful. His entire body was trembling convulsively. He quickly wrapped his arm around Rory's bare shoulders and tried to relax his posture.

"Hey, baby," Sam murmured into Rory's ear. "Calm down, baby. Shhh..." He slid his hand along the younger boy's arm soothingly. "Come on, sweetheart, you have to breathe."

Sam was starting to get genuinely worried. It was very obvious that Rory was having a panic attack, and he had no idea how to help him. "Rory, baby, look at me."

He obliged and pulled his hand away from his face. The broken expression on his face was enough to strike physical pain into Sam's heart. Rory began to babble again as he had earlier on the phone with Sam. The blonde tried his best to make out more of the story.

"Voicemail...Seamus...accident...no answer..." he choked out, his voice breaking and hitching in strange places.

Sam was lost, but suddenly, a realization hit him. It started with something about a voicemail. He looked around the room to locate Rory's phone, finding it lying at Rory's side, the back and battery scattered around it as though it had been dropped on the ground in a panic. He quickly pieced the phone back together and dialed Rory's voicemail, squeezing his boyfriend tightly to his side as he made the phone call, pressing a soft kiss to the top of his still damp hair and rocking him gently.

He punched in Rory's voicemail password and listened to the message left by Mrs. Flanagan. Everything clicked together easily after that. Rory had tried to call his mother back and hadn't gotten an answer.

At least he had something to work with now. "Rory, come here," he said quietly, pulling the boy fully into his arms and continuing to rock him comfortingly. Rory rested his head in the crook of Sam's neck and cried, his voice and breathing hysterical. Sam slid his hand across Rory's bare back. "I'm going to find out what's going on, okay? Just calm down. Here," Sam soothed, standing up and lifting Rory off the floor. He carried him across the room and set him gently on his bed. He quickly ran into the adjoining bathroom and got a cup of water.

"Drink," he insisted, holding the cup to Rory's lips. He remembered how his mother would give him a glass of water whenever he was crying the way Rory was. The Irish boy sipped the water, and it actually seemed to help. Even though the tears continued to stream freely down his cheeks, the sobs eventually began to sound less painful before subsiding almost completely.

Sam set the cup on the nightstand and slid onto the bed next to Rory, pulling him into his arms and stroking his fingers across his tear-stained face. "It's going to be okay, baby. I promise. We'll find out what happened and then we'll go from there, okay?" Sam made his voice sound as confident and calming as possible. For the first time, Rory nodded. Sam breathed a sigh of relief that at least the worst of Rory's panic had subsided. He kissed the younger boy on the top of his head, nuzzling his chin into Rory's dark hair.

"T-Thank you, Sam," Rory stuttered out, his voice thick and exhausted. His breathing was still erratic and hitching.

"Don't thank me, baby," Sam answered softly, kissing his boyfriend's hair again. "Just relax, okay?"

Rory nodded tiredly and wilted against Sam's side.

Sam lowered him down until he was mostly reclining, his head still resting against Sam's chest. Sam let his own head fall back against the headboard. He hoped that Rory would just fall asleep at his side. It looked as though he was going to get his wish as the Irish boy's eyes had slid closed. Sam continued to run his hand across Rory's bare skin calmingly, glad that exhaustion had won out over panic. Rory's body stopped trembling and began to relax beneath Sam's hand.

Sam waited until he heard soft snores coming from Rory before picking up the phone he'd tossed onto the bed and dialing Rory's mother's number. Finally, she answered.

"Rory? Why didn't you answer your phone?" Mrs. Flanagan chastised frantically.

"Ma'am, this isn't Rory. This is Sam. Rory was in the shower. He tried to call you back, but you didn't answer. What happened?" Sam tried to speak in a hushed, even tone as not to wake Rory.

"Where's Rory?" she asked insistently, panic barely concealed in her voice.

"He's right here, but I'm not sure he could talk right now," he answered. "I just got him calmed down. He fell asleep."

"His brother is in hospital," she said quickly. "He fell down the stairs. He hit his head and they think his leg is broken. He hasn't woken up yet. There's swelling on his brain."

"Oh my God, do they think he's going to be okay?" Sam asked seriously.

He heard Mrs. Flanagan's voice catch as a sob threatened to break free from her throat. "They don't know. I just want my Rory here."

"He _needs_ to be there," Sam stated earnestly. He glanced down at the sleeping boy in his arms. "Don't worry about Rory, Mrs. Flanagan. I'll take care of everything."

"Thank you, Sam," she replied breathlessly.

"Don't thank me." His voice was thoughtful as the contemplated what he had to do in order to get Rory home. "Just go take care of Seamus. Rory will be home soon."

"You are an angel, Sam," Mrs. Flanagan said, her voice thick with emotion before disconnecting the call.

Sam slid out of Rory's grasp and set the phone on the nightstand before climbing out of the bed. Rory stirred for a second before relaxing again. Sam kissed him gently on the forehead, covering his mostly naked body with a blanket to stop him from getting a chill. Sam wasn't going to be gone long. He was sure he'd be back well before Rory had slept off his exhaustion.

He tiptoed to the door and shut it quietly behind him as he set to fulfilling his promise to Mrs. Flanagan.

-xXxXx-

"Sam," Rory said incredulously, looking over the ticket that Sam had put into his hand. "Where did you get the money for this?"

"Don't worry about it. All that matters is that you get to go home to see your brother. He needs you right now."

Sam had already packed a bag for Rory. It was waiting when he'd woken up. The blonde calmly explained what had happened to Seamus and why he needed to fly home. Rory nodded and Sam pulled him into his arms as a few stray tears slid down his cheeks. He was better in control of his emotions now that he at least knew what had happened to his little brother.

"Come on," Sam said, shouldering the bag he'd packed for Rory and taking his hand. "You're going to miss your flight if we don't hurry."

Rory just continued to stare with a confused expression on his face as he followed his boyfriend out to the driveway and climbed into a truck that wasn't Sam's.

"Where's your truck, Sammy?" he asked, climbing into the open passenger's side door. "Isn't this Finn's?"

Sam ran his fingers through his hair nervously. "Uh, yeah. My truck's in the shop," he lied quickly. "Finn let me borrow his to take you to the airport."

"Oh," Rory said, satisfied. "Well, that was nice of him. I know how much he loves his truck."

Sam felt terrible for lying to Rory, but he figured that the ends justified the means. Truthfully, he'd taken his laptop to the pawn shop but hadn't gotten enough money from selling it to buy a plane ticket. The broker had looked over the counter and eyed his truck parked outside. It had been easier than Sam would have ever dreamed to accept his offer. He'd emerged from the shop with enough money to send Rory to Ireland plus a bit of extra cash to tuck inside his luggage in case there was an emergency.

Sam towed Rory quickly to the security gate. He checked his watch before pulling the younger boy into his arms.

"I'm going to miss you so much," Sam murmured into Rory's ear. "Call me every spare second you get, okay?"

"Okay, Sammy," Rory replied, his voice thick. Sam knew he was on the verge of tears again. "I'm going to miss you, too." His breath hitched, and Sam squeezed him tighter.

"Don't cry, baby," Sam comforted, sliding a hand across Rory's back. "You'll be back soon. Remember, you've got an open-ended ticket, so you can come back whenever you want to."

Sam had shelled out the extra money to assure that Rory would be able to come back to Lima on a moment's notice in case something happened. A twinge of pain panged inside Sam as he thought about the idea of Rory being around his father. Sam had wanted to accompany Rory on his trip back home, but he just couldn't scrape up enough money.

"I know, Sammy. I love you so much," Rory said, swallowing thickly against the lump in his throat and tightening his hold around Sam, resting his head on the blonde's shoulder.

"I love you, too, sweetheart," Sam said quietly. The moment seemed too intimate to speak above a whisper.

Rory pulled away and looked at Sam, a tear sliding down his cheek. Sam brushed it away with his thumb and pressed a soft kiss to Rory's lips. He lifted the carry-on bag from where it sat on the floor and put the strap over Rory's shoulder. The Irish boy watched with a lost expression. Sam could see that tears was threatening to escape from his blue eyes, so he put his hands on either side of the younger boy's face, holding him firmly, and kissed him lovingly. He slid his thumb across the apple of Rory's cheek.

"Don't cry baby. It's going to be okay," Sam tried to smile reassuringly, hoping that Rory wouldn't notice how forced it seemed. Sam had to be strong right now, for Rory's sake. "Just call me when you land in New York, alright?"

"Okay, Sammy," Rory said, his voice bordering on being a pained whimper. "I love you."

Sam wrapped his arms around Rory again and kissed him chastely on his small lips. "I love you, too, Rory."

Sam watched the plane take off from the observation deck before walking numbly back to Finn's truck. He was scared beyond all explanation of what was going to happen between Rory and his father. He fought tears all the way back home.

-xXxXx-

"What's the matter, kid?" Burt asked as Sam came through the front door, his cheeks tear-stained.

"I had to...I had to take Rory to the airport. His brother was in an accident and they don't know how he's going to make out. I'm so scared..." Sam said, dropping onto the couch as though his legs couldn't support him anymore.

"What are you scared of? I'm sure Rory will make it home alright." Burt said, trying to be comforting through his confusion.

"It's what's waiting for him at home that I'm scared of. His father is-" Sam tried to find the right word, finally giving up and settling for something less articulate. "His father is not a good person."

"What do you mean 'not a good person'?" Burt sat up in his easy chair, looking pointedly at Sam, his face abruptly serious.

A strange bond had been forged between Burt and Rory. He loved the way that the Irish boy always bounced around the house cheerfully. Rory was always quick with a helpful suggestion or a joke. Plus, no one else in the house would watch NASCAR with him except Rory, who couldn't get enough.

Sam sighed deeply and steeled himself to reveal a secret that wasn't really his to tell. "Rory's father says that he's not welcome in his house anymore." Sam's voice shifted from sadness to bitter fury. "He said that he didn't want Rory 'infecting Seamus with his _disease_ '," he spat out, his hands balling into tight fists. Sam took a deep breath and continued, his voice thick with concern. "I'm so scared that his father is going to hurt him. I wanted to go with him, but I couldn't get enough money to send us both or-"

"You bought his plane ticket?" Burt asked, shocked.

"I promised his mom that I'd take care of him," Sam said, shrugging dismissively. "I'm just keeping my promise."

"How did you get the money? I thought you spent all your money on that ring you bought for him."

"I, uh, sold some things," Sam hedged. He hadn't exactly wanted Burt to know how he'd paid for the ticket. "It's alright, though. He's going home to be with his brother. That's all that matters."

Burt shook his head in disbelief. "You are a damn good man, Sam. I'm proud of you."

"Thanks, Burt," Sam said, blushing at the commendation.

Burt sighed and slapped his hands against his thighs. "Alright, here's what's going to happen. I'm going to buy you a plane ticket and-"

"No, Burt. I couldn't ask you to do that," Sam said quickly. Burt threw his hands in front of him to silence Sam.

"You're going to work off the cost at the garage. I need all the help I can get. You need to be with that boyfriend of yours right now. Here." Burt reached into his wallet and took out a credit card and placed it into Sam's hand. "Go on. Get to where you need to be, kid," Burt said, smiling.

"Thank you _so_ much! You have no idea how much I appreciate this!" Sam said, launching himself off the couch and running to his bedroom. He arranged his flight and packed a bag at the same time.

He made a final phone call before getting in the car with Burt to ride to the airport for the second time that day.

"Hello?" A confused voice answered.

"Mrs. Flanagan, this is Sam Evans, Rory's boyfriend. Rory is on a plane headed home right now. I hope it's alright, but I can't let him go alone. I'm on my way to catch a plane right now."

Her voice sounded relieved. "Thank you, Sam," she breathed. "Of course you are always welcome here."

"Thank you, Mrs. Flanagan. Could you do me a favor, though?"

"Of course, dear, anything," she said easily.

"Don't tell Rory."


	13. Hospitals

Rory had been sitting in the hospital waiting room for over six hours. His nerves were shot, causing him to jump at every sound. The doctors insisted that visiting hours were over, but Rory couldn't bring himself to go home, so he sat and waited for the doctors to let him back in the room. Even though Seamus isn't conscious yet, Rory can't leave him alone. If he woke up, he'd be so scared. He knows how much his little brother hates hospitals.

When Seamus had to get his tonsils removed when he was four, he'd cried his eyes out, clinging to the front of Rory's shirt as the nurses assured him that he wouldn't feel a thing. A stern, overweight nurse turned around and the light glinted off an IV needle. Seamus whimpered, terrifed at the needle and pressed himself closer to Rory. Even at age ten, he'd been fiercely protective of his baby brother.

"Don't let her stick me, Rory!" he'd sobbed. "I'm scared!"

The nurses stepped forward to pry the little boy's fingers from his brother's shirt, but Rory squeezed him tighter. Determined not to let that nurse and her needle anywherre near his little brother, he'd panicked and scooped Seamus up into his arms before turning to run toward the door. The nurses weren't able to stop him before he made it to the hallway.

Unfortunately, in his hurry, he'd forgotten to look where he was going and ran smack into his mother. Her shocked expression quickly shifted to anger as she realized what was happening. She picked Seamus up from the ground and shot a leveling glance at Rory before carrying her youngest son back to his hospital room. He'd gotten four whacks with the belt for that stunt.

As soon as Seamus had come out of his surgery, Rory had been by his side.

"I'm sorry I couldn't stop them from taking you," Rory said, looking at his feet, disappointed that he'd let his brother down.

"It's okay, Rory," Seamus rasped, his throat sore from the operation.

"Here, I got you this." Rory reached into his pocket and pulled out a stone. "I know you like rocks and this one sorta looks like a heart, so I picked it up." He offered the rock to his brother who took it and smiled brightly.

"Thank you, Rory! I love it! It's beautiful!"

Seamus leaned forward and wrapped his arms around his big brother. Rory hugged him back tightly.

That's why, right now, it was almost painful to be so far away from Seamus. Rory wanted nothing more than to run into his little brother's room and hold his hand. He knew there was nothing he could do to make him better, but he needed to be doing something. Sitting alone in a waiting room was going to drive him insane quickly.

His mother had disappeared after getting a phone call. She'd been cryptic about her reason for leaving, but Rory didn't have the strength to question it. It was only now that he wondered where she'd gone. She said she'd be back in about a half an hour, and that was an hour ago. He sent her a quick text message asking where she was and sighed.

Rory glanced down at his hand and inspected the ring on his finger. He spun it idly with his thumb. It brought him a degree of comfort to know that Sam would be waiting for him when he went back to Lima. It seemed as though the only constant thing in his life was Sam. He looked at his watch and calculated what time it would be in America. It was late, but he needed to hear Sam's voice. He took a deep breath and dialed the number.

As soon as he hit the button to place the call, he heard the distant sound of a phone ringing echoing through the hallway. Rory tapped his foot as he waited for Sam to pick answer. The sound that rang through the hallway was getting closer. Rory's head snapped up; he recognized that ringtone. It was the ringtone that was set for whenever he called...

He threw himself out of the chair and ran to the open door to look into the hallway to spot the muscular blonde walking quickly toward him, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth as he saw Rory. The brunette ran to close the gap between himself and Sam, launching himself into his boyfriend's strong arms.

"Sam! Oh my God!" he cried, snaking his arms around Sam's neck and kissing him urgently. "What are you doing here? How did you...?"

"Don't worry about it, baby. I'm here and that's what matters right now, okay?'

Rory nodded seriously before a frantic squeak flew out of his mouth and he had to kiss Sam again.

Mrs. Flanagan cleared her throat nearby causing Rory to quickly break the kiss and look at her, wiping his mouth guiltily, blushing. He couldn't hide the smirk on his face if he'd tried. "Sorry, mammy," he said, looking down at his feet. Rory's mother giggled under her breath, shaking her head.

Even though there was so much uncertainty over nearly every aspect of his life, now that Sam was there, Rory knew that, one way or another, he was going to be able to handle it; he was going to be okay.

-xXxXx-

Rory had fallen asleep against Sam's side, so Sam put his arm around Rory's shoulders and pulled him impossibly closer, pressing a kiss to the top of his hair.

"Rory couldn't ask for a better boyfriend, Sam," Mrs. Flanagan said quietly, reaching over to take Sam's hand. "I'm so glad he found you."

"I'm glad he found me, too. I love him, Mrs. Flanagan," Sam said plainly. It seemed important to say the words aloud. He was sure that she knew, but he'd never said it to her in so many words before. "I love him, and I'll never let anything hurt him. I swear. That's why I couldn't let him come over by himself. I couldn't imagine leaving him to face his father alone." Sam's voice was low and serious.

Mrs. Flanagan nodded sadly and patted Sam's hand. "Thank you."

"Does he know that Rory's back?" Sam asked, struggling to keep his voice even, to not let his hatred for Rory's father seep into his tone.

"No," she said simply, her own voice tense. "His father left for work this morning after the doctors said there'd been no change in Seamus' condition. Nothing keeps him from his job, but he's going to be here soon. He gets off work in an hour, and he said he's coming directly here." She brought her hand to her mouth and began anxiously chewing on her thumbnail. Sam reached forward and took her hand, pulling it away from her face.

"It will be okay, Mrs. Flanagan," Sam promised. "I'm here. He won't get near Rory."

Tears began sliding down the woman's cheek as she was suddenly overcome with emotion. She covered her face with her hands.

"What's the matter?" Sam asked, putting his free hand on her shoulder.

"I've tried so hard to tell him that Rory is still the same. That he's always been this way. The only difference is that now we know, but he won't listen. He's still our son, our baby," she sobbed brokenly. "I just don't understand how he can hate his own son. Rory is beautiful and kind. He always has been. How could  _anyone_  possibly hate him?" Sam had to struggle to make out the words through her tears.

Sam's gaze shifted to the boy sleeping peacefully against his shoulder. He stroked his fingers across his cheek.

"Mrs. Flanagan, Rory is so much stronger than you know. He knows that you and Seamus love him more than anything else in the world, and that's enough for him. He told me that one day, he hopes that his father will accept him, but until then, he's okay."

"You've helped him so much, Sam," she said, her voice a bit stronger. She looked up into Sam's eyes. "I don't think he could have made it through all this without you."

Sam nodded seriously, but he couldn't find his voice. He knew that her words were more than likely true, but he couldn't bring himself to think about the implications of them.

She cleared her throat and stood up quickly. "Well, I'm going to go get a cup of coffee," she said, clearly trying to change the subject by abruptly ending the conversation. Sam was thankful. He couldn't bear to think about Rory 'not making it through' anymore. Rory was warm and relaxed against his side and that's what mattered right now. Sam nodded, giving her a small, forced smile as she departed the room.

He leaned down to press another kiss against the top of Rory's head before leaning into the side of the chair and drifting off into an uncomfortable sleep.

-xXxXx-

A sudden jolt to Rory's chair woke him up and very nearly sent him tumbling to the floor. The only thing that saved him was Sam tightening his hold around him at the last second. He looked up quickly to see the source of his sudden awakening and met the furious eyes of his father.

"What the hell are you doing here, boy?"

Sam shifted protectively in front of Rory. "Don't talk to him like that," he warned. "He's here to see Seamus. Leave him alone."

The man ignored Sam and continued to attack Rory. "I told you that I never wanted to see you again. You're a pervert and I don't want you anywhere near my son," he spat.

The set of Rory's jaw made it clear that he was trying very hard not to cry, determined not to give his father the satisfaction of knowing how deeply his words cut. He swallowed against the lump in his throat and spoke. "I'm not going anywhere. Seamus needs me right now."

Sam squeezed his hand, proud that he'd stood up for himself.

His father reached forward with his fist raised, making an attempt to grab Rory by the arm and wrench him out of the chair, but Sam jumped between them, shoving the man and causing him to stumble back a few steps. "Do  _not_  touch him," Sam growled through gritted teeth. Though the words were hushed, the rough darkness to Sam's words was enough to send a chill down Rory's spine. "You'll hit  _him_ , but I bet you wouldn't try to hit  _me_."

The man hesitated, his fist still raised aggressively, for a moment before dropping it in a huff and storming out of the room. Sam took a calming breath, wondering if he realizes how close that confrontation was to a fight, before turning around to face Rory. His face was frozen in a mask of shock.

Sam sat down beside him, pulling him back into his arms and cradling his head against his chest. "Baby," he soothed. "It's okay."

Rory buried his face in Sam's shirt as the tears began to fall. Sam rocked him gently but said nothing. Because, really, what is there to say? He just slid his hand across Rory's back as he cried himself out against his chest. Thankfully, his father didn't come back for round two and Rory eventually fell back to sleep. Sam just held his boyfriend close and watched him sleep.

-xXxXx-

Sam had been sharing a cup of coffee with Rory when Mrs. Flanagan came running into the room.

"What's going on, mam?" Rory asked, standing up, his voice concerned.

"He's awake!" she gushed. "I told him you were here, and he wants to see you. You too, Sam." Her voice was bright and her eyes sparkled with excitement, a smile stretching across her relieved face. Sam couldn't help but return it. He hadn't noticed before, but Rory had his mother's smile. He took Rory's hand and allowed himself to be dragged down the hallway.

Rory paused outside the door and turned to look at Sam. He rocked forward on the balls of his feet to press a quick kiss to the blonde's lips before pushing the door open, bringing into view a slender brunette boy sitting, propped up, in the hospital bed, his leg encased in plaster and elevated on two pillows. In person, the family resemblance was even more striking than it had been via webcam. His blue eyes lit up as he spotted Rory in the doorway.

"Rory!" he cried, opening his arms to invite his brother in for a hug. Rory crossed the small room in a few short strides and wrapped his arms around his little brother. Mrs. Flanagan came to stand next to Sam, placing her hand against the small of his back and smiling as her two sons embraced.

"Seamus, what happened? How did you fall?" Rory asked in a rush. He'd been holding in all his questions since he'd first received the phone call from his mother and now they came flying out before he could stop them.

The younger boy's eyes flitted across his mother and Sam anxiously. Mrs. Flanagan took the hint that Seamus wanted to speak to Rory privately and excused herself from the room. Sam came to stand by Rory's side.

"I don't remember much about falling, but I remember sitting in my room working on my homework when da came in and started yelling. I didn't do anything, but he pulled out the belt and I ran. He chased me out of my room, and I looked behind me and I guess I tripped."

Rory inhaled a sharp breath and balled his hands into tight fists at his sides. The rage that was suddenly radiating from Rory was very nearly tangible. His eyes were sparkling with fury and a look of vindication, as though he'd known the answer all along. Sam stood frozen at his side, completely unsure what to do. Seamus shifted awkwardly at the change.

"R-Rory?" he asked, trying to meet his brother's eyes and reaching out to take his hand.

Rory shook his head quickly to try and dispel his fury, or at least make the attempt to school his expression into something less angry. He looked down at his brother lying in the hospital bed and found the strength to calm himself down. He needed to be there for Seamus right now.

He smiled and turned his head to look at Seamus. "I'm sorry," he said with a forced brightness. Seamus returned the smile and launched into a story about he'd gotten in trouble at school for dropping a Cherry Bomb down the toilet in the boy's lavatory.

Rory smiled and laughed in all the right places, but Sam could still see the tension in his shoulders. He reached forward and grabbed Rory's hand. Rory took his hand and squeezed back with a tightness that betrayed his calm exterior. When Seamus turned his head to look out the window, Rory shot a glance at Sam that caused a shiver to slide down his spine. He'd never seen that sort of pure hatred in Rory's eyes. Sam knew that as soon as Rory was away from his little brother that all hell was going to break loose.

Seamus contined to babble on about everything that Rory had missed while he was in America, asking for little input from his brother until they were interrupted by a doctor knocking on the door.

"We're going to take you down for another x-ray now that you're awake," she said cheerfully. Seamus nodded, smiling.

"Those machines are cool!" he offered excitedly.

Instead of smiling, Rory was struck again by his anger. Seamus never hurt anyone. He was always cheerful and funny. It was his father's fault that he was in the hospital, his fault that the kind boy was injured. Sam bit his lip anxiously. He knew that soon, Seamus would be taken away and Rory was going to explode. The moment came too soon.

"Alright, boys," the nurse said. "You can come back in later. I'm going to take Seamus down to Radiology."

Sam took Rory's hand and nodded. Seamus smiled at them as they walked out of the room, and only Sam was able to return it.

They'd no more than stepped into the hallway when Rory dropped Sam's hand and lurched forward to connect his fist to the wall. Sam flinched at the force behind the punch but didn't intervene. He mentally made a note to inspect Rory's hand later, because there was no way that he  _hadn't_  just broken his hand.

Rory turned to face Sam, opening his mouth to speak. He was interrupted before he began by a voice coming from right behind him.

"What are you doing here, boy? I thought I told you to stay away from here."

A feral growl tore out of Rory's throat as he spun on a dime to face his father. Sam reached out to grab Rory's arm and restrain him, but didn't catch him in time. And with a resounding crack, Rory's fist connected with his father's nose.


	14. Together

Rory lunged forward to close the gap between himself and his father, but this time Sam was able to catch him, wrapping his arms around the boy's waist and wrenching him off his feet as words started flying uncontrollably out of his mouth in a rush.

"It's _your_ fault! I knew it was!" Rory yelled, his voice wild as he struggled against Sam's hold.

The man stood frozen, hand clapped over his nose. Sam felt a deep satisfaction as he saw the blood begin to trickle from beneath his fingers. Oh yeah, it was _definitely_ broken.

Rapidly approaching footsteps echoed over the sound of Rory's continued shouting.

"What's going on here?" Mrs. Flanagan's voice came out an octave higher with surprise and worry.

"It was _him!_ " Rory cried, throwing his arm out to point an accusatory finger at his father. "It's _his_ fault that Seamus is hurt. He went into his room and tried to hit him with the belt, and Seamus fell down the stairs running _away_ from _him_."

Mrs. Flanagan spun to look at her husband, shock and anger quickly settling on her face.

"The little queer is lying. I never did anything of the sort!" his father spat sharply, his words muffled by the hand pressed to his face.

A feral growl tore from Rory's chest as he lunged forward again, thrashing against Sam's arms. The blonde spun him around and dragged him toward the bathroom. Shoving him roughly through the door and locking it behind them.

"I'll kill him, Sam," Rory snarled, his eyes sparkling with hatred. "I swear to God, I'll fucking kill him."

Sam flinched as the curse flew from Rory's mouth. He'd never seen Rory so out of control. He closed the gap between them and put his hands on Rory's shoulders. "Rory, you need to calm down. Let me see your hand." Sam reached down to take the boy's wrist and inspect his hand—it was swollen and a very angry purple color around the knuckles of his middle and index fingers. Rory's body was shaking with adrenaline. Sam knew he had to get him calmed down so they could go get it looked at. "Come here," he said, trying to keep his voice even. He ushered Rory over to the sink and instructed him to lean forward. Sam took a few paper towels from the dispenser and wet them with cool water before pressing them against the back of Rory's neck and rubbing his back.

"Baby, you need to calm down," Sam soothed, his voice serious.

"He-,"

"I know, but you're not going to accomplish anything like this." Sam's voice came out sharper than he'd intended as a result of his worry.

Rory stood up and looked in Sam's direction. His face was furious for a moment before his expression suddenly shifted to absolute sadness. His hands flashed to his face as he covered his mouth, his eyes wide with panic. "Oh my God, what did I just do?" His voice was barely above a choked whisper. Sam pulled Rory into his arms just in time for the tears to start falling. Rory rested his head against Sam's shoulder, his entire body beginning to feel slack in Sam's arms as sobs wracked his frame.

Sam lowered them both to the floor, leaning back against the wall and pulling Rory closer. The boy gratefully curled into side, wrapping his arms around Sam's shoulders and trying to grab at the fabric of his shirt. Sam rocked him gently, whispering soothing nonsense into his ear as he slid his hand across Rory's back. He knew the best thing to do would be to just let him cry himself out.

Rory let out a quiet gasp of pain as he tried to tighten his grip on Sam's t-shirt. "Ow," he whimpered sheepishly, seeming surprised by the sudden pain. He pulled his hand away from Sam's chest to inspect it. Sam put a steadying hand on his wrist.

"Yeah, you hurt it pretty bad, babe. You've got one _hell_ of a right hook though," Sam said, hoping to lighten the mood even a little; it worked. A small smile spread across Rory's face. "We'd better go get that looked at though. See how it's turned black right there?" Sam pointed to the swollen joints of his knuckles, his finger hovering right above the skin. Rory nodded sickly. "That means it's broken. Or fractured at the very least."

Rory swallowed convulsively. "I-I've never broken anything before. I can't believe I did that," he muttered, disgusted with himself. "I hit my father."

"You did it for your brother, baby. You stood up for Seamus. I'm proud of you," Sam answered, pressing a kiss to the crown of his head. "He had it coming for everything he's done to you. He's lucky I didn't do it myself. I would have-"

Sam's phone suddenly began to ring. He shifted slightly to access his pocket and pulled the phone out. "It's your mother," he said anxiously. Rory slid closer to his side nervously as Sam brought the phone to his ear. "H-Hello?"

"Where are you?" Her voice was businesslike with an undercurrent of worry. At least she didn't sound mad.

"We're in a bathroom. I've got to take Rory down to the emergency room though. He hurt his hand. Bad," he said, eyeing the ever-increasing swelling on Rory's hand.

"My baby," she gasped quietly, her voice abruptly concerned. "Is he alright?"

Sam smiled at her tone and put the call on speakerphone. "Here, I'll let him tell you."

"Mam?" Rory asked, hesitantly, still bracing for a rebuff.

"Rory, baby! Are you okay, little love?" Sam grinned widely at the nickname.

"Yes, mammy. I'm okay," he assured, a smile touching his voice.

"Thank God!" She breathed an audible sigh of relief before her voice turned intently serious. "Rory, were you telling the truth? Was your father the reason Seamus is hurt?"

"Yes. Seamus told me himself," Rory replied honestly. "I don't want him near Seamus anymore, mam. I don't trust him."

"Me either," she whispered, struggling to keep her tone even. The boys could hear the fury boiling just below the surface of her voice. "I'm going to go talk to Seamus. Go get your hand looked at."

Sam jumped into the conversation. "Uh, where is your husband?" He didn't want any drama on the way down to the ER, and the last thing Rory needed was to hurt his hand any worse than it already was.

"He left right after you boys did. Serves him right," Mrs. Flanagan said, mild amusement in her tone.

"So, he's not here anymore?" Sam had to be sure.

"No. I'm sure he went to get a drink."

Rory rolled his eyes as though that was _exactly_ where he thought his father had gone.

"Okay, Mrs. Flanagan. Thank you." _Thank you for being there for Rory. Thank you for loving him the way he deserves,_ Sam added mentally _._

"You don't have to thank me for anything, love. My boys mean more to me than anything else in the world. No one hurts them without having my wrath fall upon them."

A beaming smile spread across Rory's face, warming Sam to the core. "Thank you, mammy. I love you so much!"

"I love you, too, baby," she cooed. "Goodbye."

"Bye, mammy," Rory said brightly.

Sam took Rory's uninjured hand and stood up, pulling Rory to his feet. He could feel the relief radiating from the younger boy. His mother believed him and wasn't mad, not at him at least. Rory breathed a sigh of relief at the fact that the only consequence of his actions was a broken hand. He'd gladly take whatever pain that entailed.

-xXxXx-

The trip to the emergency room had taken most of the day and, by the time they got out of the hospital and retrieved their bags from Rory's mother's car, it was starting to get dark. Sam took Rory's unbandaged hand and laced their fingers together.

Rory sighed deeply and looked at the sidewalk. "What are we going to do? It's not like we can stay at my house."

Sam smiled deviously. "Don't worry about it, babe. I thought of that when I was trying to get the money to get you over here." He released his boyfriend's hand, took the bag from his shoulder, and unzipped it, fishing around in the zippered pocket inside and pulling out a folded piece of paper and handing it to Rory. He quickly unfolded the note, revealing several multicolored bills.

"Sam, how did-" Rory stuttered, his eyes wide. "How much is there?"

"Um, about 300, I think. It's all I could get. The exchange rate at the airport was really high." Sam rubbed his hand nervously across the back of his neck. "Do you think it'll be enough?"

Sam staggered back a few steps as Rory suddenly threw himself into his arms, a smile stretched widely across his face. Rory felt tears forming at the corners of his eyes as he realized that Sam had done every single thing he could possibly do in order to make sure that he would be okay in Ireland. His voice was breathless under the weight of the romantic gesture. "Sammy," he sighed, affectionate surprise dripping from his tone. He turned his head to capture Sam's lips with his own and wrap his arms around the blonde's neck. "I love you so much," he mumbled against Sam's skin when he broke the kiss.

"I love you, too, Rory. More than anything."

They weren't able to afford much in the way of hotels. They went with the cheapest accommodations they could find and got _exactly_ what they'd paid for. The bed squeaked when Rory sat on it, and the television and one of the lamps didn't work, but at least they were together and there was a roof over their heads. Sam stood next to the bed, busying himself with putting their clothes away in one of the broken dressers when Rory wrapped his arms around his waist and pulled him backwards until he fell on the bed, laughing out a breathless "whoa" as he landed on the mattress. Rory cuddled into his side immediately, resting his head against his chest.

"I'm so glad you're here, Sammy. I couldn't have done this without you," he said, leaning his head to be able to look into Sam's eyes. Sam leaned down and kissed his forehead.

" _I_ couldn't have _let you_ do this on your own," he explained. "I didn't know what was going to happen."

"But, how did you get the money, Sam?" he asked seriously.

"I so-"

"I know. You 'sold some things', but what did you sell?"

"I sold my laptop," Sam answered quietly, hoping that would appease Rory. It didn't.

He recognized Rory's 'deep in thought' expression as the younger boy processed Sam's words. "There's no way you could have gotten enough from selling your laptop to get enough money to send me to-" Rory's words broke off, a look of realization settling on his face. Rory sat straight up, looking down at Sam. "Sam, that took a lot more money than that. What else did you sell?" he asked, his voice dark and serious. Sam sighed deeply. It was enough of an answer for Rory. He wracked his brain, trying to think of what Sam could have sold to get enough money to send him to Ireland. His mouth fell open as the realization hit. "You sold your truck...so that I could fly here..." It was half a question, half Rory trying to explain it to himself.

Sam sat up and nodded, taking both of Rory's hands into his own, before shrugging and answering, "You had to get home." as though it was the easiest decision he'd ever made. It actually was.

Rory's face was incredulous for a split second before his expression shifted into something deeper, more emotional. He lunged forward, tackling Sam onto the mattress, and kissing him passionately.

Sam rolled Rory onto his back, kissing him deeply and eliciting whimpered moans as he ground his hips down to create friction.

"Sammy," Rory whined. "D-Don't tease. Please, I need you." He wrapped his legs around Sam's waist to bring him closer and leaning up to connect their lips again. Rory lifted his hips up to meet Sam's, and the blonde moaned quietly before pulling away.

"We can't, Rory. I didn't pack any condoms." Sam's voice was strained as though the last thing he wanted was to stop. Sam started to slide out of Rory's hold. Rory nodded and reluctantly let Sam pull away. Rory sat up slowly, his face still flushed from exertion. Sam leaned forward to press a chaste kiss to his lips, sliding his thumb across Rory's bottom lip as he pulled away. "You're so beautiful," Sam said incredulously, a small smile on his lips. "Why don't you go take a shower and I'll run down to that little store on the corner and get us some food and uh...supplies."

Rory giggled and nodded, leaning forward to press another kiss to Sam's lips. "I like that idea, Sammy." He reached into his pocket and pulled out their small stash of money, handing it to Sam. "Alright, babe. I'll be right back." He kissed Rory quickly on the lips and threw himself out of bed. "I love you," he said as he pulled on his coat, leaning forward to give Rory one last kiss before leaving. The younger boy laughed quietly at the gesture.

"I love you, too, Sammy. Hurry back."

Sam gave him a parting smile before opening the door and stepping outside. The short walk to the corner store did Sam a world of good. It allowed him to decompress after all that had happened in the short time since he'd arrived in Ireland. Rory's mother had picked him up at the airport, and they'd driven quickly to the hospital. Rory had snapped and given his father a much deserved punch to the face. Everything could have turned out so differently, so much worse. It seemed that, even though everything had teetered on the brink of turning into a nightmare, they had narrowly avoided _all_ of the worst case scenarios and managed to escape the ordeal unscathed. W _ell, almost unscathed._ Sam thought as he remembered Rory's bandaged hand.

Sam felt warm as he thought about Rory back in their hotel room waiting for him. He knew that, when he got back, they would eat dinner and then make love. It was as though everything was completely okay, as though it was just a normal night. The circumstances didn't matter; they were together.

The bell on the shop door chimed as Sam opened it, letting himself in. A seemingly disinterested woman leaned against the counter. Sam smiled at her quickly before disappearing into the row of snack foods, gathering a small assortment of possible, yet equally unhealthy, dinner options, turning to grab a couple things from the cooler behind him. He didn't know how long they were going to be staying in that hotel room, might as well stock up. He turned the corner, remembering what he came to buy, and stepped into the aisle that held the more personal items.

A small, elderly woman stood in the aisle beside him, making him feel incredibly self-conscious. He felt her eyes boring into the side of his head as he leaned forward to grab a bottle of lube. He could swear he heard her click her tongue judgmentally. His cheeks flushed red and he did his best to leave the aisle with his dignity, coming up just short as he tripped over his own feet and stumbled forward a step before righting himself against a Pepsi display.

He walked silently to the counter, not meeting the cashier's eyes as she rang up his order. Sam wondered absently if there was any suave way to purchase Hot Pockets, Mountain Dew, potato chips, and KY lube. He sighed as he realized: no, no there wasn't. He took his bag and quickly started back toward the hotel, walking through the door and leaning back against it as though he'd just braved a war.

Rory laughed as he walked out of the bathroom, towel wrapped around his waist. "What's the matter, Sam? You look like you just saw a ghost."

"Worse," he breathed, coming to sit on the bed, setting the bag beside him. "Next time you're going to the store. I'm never showing my face there again."

"Why not?" Rory asked, laughing. He slipped on a pair of boxer-briefs before walking over to the bag, pulling out the soda and potato chips and dropping down on the bed next to Sam.

"This old lady was watching me buy...the stuff, and I swear, the only thing I could think of was my grandma. I have _never_ felt more awkward in my life. I could _feel_ her judging me," Sam laughed. "So, next time, it's your turn. Let the old ladies judge _you_." He poked a playful finger into Rory's bare chest.

"Deal," Rory replied, smiling, as he leaned forward to press a quick kiss against Sam's lips. "Now eat." He held the opened bag of chips to Sam. It wasn't much of a dinner, potato chips and soda drank directly from the bottle, but it would have to do.

Rory stood up to put the half empty soda bottle into the mini-refrigerator that he was _pretty_ sure actually worked. He walked back to the bed, picking up his jeans from the floor. As he lifted them from the floor, a piece of paper fell from the pocket. He turned around and picked up the paper, recognizing Sam's handwriting on the small page. It was the note that Sam had scribbled to leave in Rory's luggage with the money he'd stashed there.

_Rory,_

_I'm so sorry that I couldn't get enough money to come with you. I hate the thought of you all by yourself. Here's some money in case something happens. There should be enough to put you up in a hotel for a couple nights. I don't want you to stay in the same house as your father. I'm honestly scared to death about sending you to face him alone. God, I wish I could be there. Be careful. I miss you already. I love you so much._

_Love,_

_Sammy_

Warmth spread through Rory's body as he read Sam's words. It never failed to amaze and surprise him how dedicated and loving that his boyfriend was. Rory folded the note back up and set it on the dresser before walking back to the bed, and climbing into Sam's lap and kissing him sweetly. "I love you, Sammy."

Sam smiled and brushed a stray lock of hair from his boyfriend's forehead before pressing a kiss against the tip of his nose. "I love you, too, Rory."

Rory wrapped his arms around Sam's neck and leaned back in to kiss him again. Sam brought his hands to roam over the bare skin of Rory's back. The younger boy readjusted his body until he was straddling Sam's lap and deepened the kiss, flicking his tongue over Sam's full bottom lip.

Rory ducked his head down to pepper kisses to the side of Sam's neck and up toward his temple. "I missed you so much," he whispered, his voice rough. The heat of Rory's breath ghosted over Sam's ear.

Sam swallowed thickly and leaned his head to allow Rory better access to the column of his throat, a short, breathless laugh escaping him. "I was only gone about fifteen minutes."

"Not when you went to the store." Rory pressed a soft kiss to the shell of Sam's ear. "I meant when I thought you were still in America. I hated it. I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't shown up."

"Well, don't think about it," Sam said, his voice thick with want. "I'm here now. That's what matters."

Rory pulled away to look into Sam's eyes before leaning forward and connecting their lips in a heated kiss. Sam felt Rory's fingers sliding down toward the hem of his shirt so he lifted his arms and allowed the garment to be removed. Rory tossed the shirt aside and brought his fingers to Sam's hair, tangling them in his blonde locks as he brought their lips back together. Sam slid his hands across the bare expanse of Rory's back, reveling in the way the muscles worked beneath his fingers. Rory deepened the kiss and rocked his hips forward roughly, swallowing the blonde boy's moan as it escaped his throat.

"Oh God, Rory," Sam mumbled into the crook of his neck, his strained voice barely louder than a breath.

"Yeah?" Rory asked, his voice teasing, as he ground his hips down again. Sam put his hands on Rory's waist, guiding him impossibly closer. Rory moaned quietly at the friction created by the new closeness, his uninjured hand scrambling down to the button of Sam's jeans, quickly unfastening it and allowing Sam to slide them off, his underwear following very shortly after.

Sam guided Rory down to the mattress, kissing his neck and down his chest as soon as he was lying flat, before coming back up to kiss Rory's lips hungrily. The older boy's hands roamed across his boyfriend's flat stomach, sliding the thumb of his left hand across the sensitive skin near his hipbone as his right hand continued to the front of Rory's underwear to wrap around the straining erection through the fabric. Rory whimpered as the sensation, peppering needy kisses to Sam's shoulder, his hips arching into Sam's hand.

"Please, Sam," Rory whined brokenly against his boyfriend's skin.

The blonde pulled back to look at Rory. His pale skin was flushed, a light sheen of sweat causing a stray lock of hair to stick to his forehead. His lust blown eyes sent a wave of warmth coursing through Sam's veins. There was absolutely nothing he would deny the beautiful boy. He leaned forward to connect their lips, his fuller lips moving, warm and yielding, against Rory's smaller ones. He slid Rory's underwear down to his knees and Rory kicked them the rest of the way off. Sam kissed his way down Rory's chest and stomach before taking Rory's needy length into his mouth.

Rory's hips arched off the bed, desperate to bury himself deeper into the moist heat of his boyfriend's mouth only to be stopped by a restraining hand against his stomach. Sam pulled off to lave his tongue languidly across the head before wrapping his lips around the shaft and sinking down. A whine that sounded very much like a choked sob bubbled out of Rory's throat as his hips stuttered upward against the restraint of Sam's hand. Another whimper slipped past his lips.

Sam could tell from his sounds that Rory was close. The broken, needy sounds escaping Rory were almost enough to send Sam over the edge himself. He warred with the decision of stopping what he was doing in order to move things along or just continue to take Rory apart with his mouth, listening to the delicious noises pouring from him as he rode out his release. On any other occasion, the decision would be the latter choice, but tonight Sam needed to feel Rory beneath him, warm and solid and close. He pulled off and came back up to kiss Rory on the lips.

Rory wrapped his legs around Sam's waist to pull him closer. "Please, Sammy," he begged, his voice thick and rough. "I need to feel you inside me. _Please_."

" _God_ , baby," Sam said, incredulous. He slid his thumb across Rory's parted lips. Rory's eyelids fluttered closed. He brought his hand to capture Sam's wrist to hold the hand to his lips, kissing the calloused fingers. "You are the most beautiful human being I've ever seen, Rory." Sam shook his head, amazed. Rory's lips turned up into a smile against Sam's palm.

Sam reached down to the side of the bed to rifle through the bag of things he'd bought from the store, pulling out the little bottle of lube and tossing it on the bed.

"Dammit!" Sam swore, frustrated, bringing his hand up to tangle into his messy hair.

"What's the matter?" Rory asked, concerned.

"I forgot to get condoms," he muttered, dropping his head into the crook of Rory's neck. "It was the whole reason I went. That damn old lady got me all flustered and I guess I forgot. Dammit!"

Rory giggled at the sound of the words being mumbled against his skin. He brought his hand to stroke Sam's hair. "It's okay, baby."

Sam looked up to meet Rory's eyes, a smile spreading widely across his face at the term of endearment. He'd never heard Rory say it before. He pressed a soft kiss to the younger boy's lips before sighing and making a move to untangle himself from Rory. "Wait here, and I'll go buy-"

"No," Rory insisted quickly, pulling Sam back into his arms.

"No?" Sam asked, skeptical.

"I trust you. And I.." he hesitated, obviously trying to think of the right words. "I want this. I want to feel you. _Just_ you."

Sam froze above him. "Are you sure? We can wait. Really. I'll go out and get-"

"I'm sure," he promised, leaning up to kiss Sam softly on the lips and rest his hand on Sam's cheek. The blonde began to relax into the touch.

"I love you, Rory," Sam whispered, his eyes fluttering closed.

"I love you, too, Sam." He pressed a soft kiss to Sam's closed eyelids before breaking away and allowing his head to fall back against the pillow, a smile on his small face.

Sam thumbed open the cap of the lube and coated his fingers liberally. He kissed Rory as he got him ready, swallowing the initial sounds of discomfort and the eventual moans and pleas for more as Rory rocked back against his fingers, his kisses getting more and more urgent. Sam slid his fingers out before opening the lube and coating his length, using more than was probably necessary just to be on the safe side. He positioned himself above Rory and kissed him gently on the lips. "Babe, are you sure?"

Rory smiled brightly, bringing his hand to stroke Sam's face. "I'm sure."

Taking a deep breath, Sam started to push into Rory, an audible gasp escaping his lips at the new sensation of skin on skin. He felt the tight heat constricting around him as he rolled his hips forward to fully sheath himself inside Rory. He crashed their lips together as he stilled his hips to wait for Rory to acclimate. Rory's eyes stared up into his own, lovingly.

"What does it feel like?" he asked, his voice soft.

Sam struggled to keep his voice even. It was unlike anything he'd ever felt before. He felt connected to Rory in a way he'd never believed possible. They were together as one, nothing separating them. It added a new level of intimacy to the act. "It feels so amazing, baby. You have no idea," Sam whispered, pressing urgent, loving kisses to Rory's parted lips. "I love you so much."

Rory slid his thumb across the apple of Sam's cheek. "I love you, too, Sammy."

Sam began rolling his hips slowly into Rory causing the younger boy to whimper brokenly and wrap his fingers around Sam's strong arm. Sam knew he wasn't going to last long, the sensation was too much, threatening to take him under quickly, but he was determined to make Rory fall apart completely before he let himself go. He quickened his rhythm, pushing into Rory faster and just hard enough to cause him to have to grab the sheets to anchor himself in place. "Oh God, Sam!" he moaned loudly, his head falling heavily onto the pillow. He rocked his body down to meet Sam's thrusts, his breath coming out in whined gasps, punctuated by quiet cries and pleas. He threw his arms around Sam's neck, pulling him into a very heated kiss.

The blonde reached between them and took Rory's length into his hand, pumping it in rhythm with his thrusts. It didn't take long before Rory was crying out his orgasm as it spilled across his stomach, his chest rising and falling harshly as he came down from his high. He lay spent and panting as Sam continued to push into him. Sam felt himself rapidly approaching his own release as Rory's body constricted around him, warm and almost too tight. He started to slide out of Rory as he felt himself about to fall over the edge only to find himself stilled by Rory's legs suddenly wrapping themselves around his waist.

"Babe, I'm close," he warned.

"I know. Just go," Rory answered, his voice still rough. "I want to feel it."

That was enough to bring Sam's orgasm crashing down on him. He rolled his hips, fully sheathing himself inside Rory as he spilled his seed inside Rory. Sam surged their lips together as he rode out the waves of pleasure coursing through his body. Rory whimpered quietly as he felt Sam starting to pull out. The blonde took a deep breath and collapsed heavily on top of his boyfriend's spent body. Rory brought a hand to brush the blonde hair from his eyes, smiling sleepily.

"That was..." he struggled to find the right word. "Absolutely amazing." He pressed their lips together lovingly.

"Mhm," Rory hummed in agreement. "I love you, Sammy."

"I love you, too, Rory." He kissed him again quickly on the lips. "I think we should probably go take a shower now," Sam laughed breathlessly. Rory nodded, smiling.

Sam rolled off of Rory and offered a hand to help him up. Rory took the hand and followed Sam to the shower. They kissed indulgently under the hot water, finally cleaning up when the water started threatening to go cold. They dried off, but made no move to get dressed, collapsing into bed and cuddling together completely naked. Sam pulled Rory until he was flush against his side and resting his head against the blonde's strong chest.

Rory yawned widely, nuzzling his cheek against Sam's skin. "Goodnight, Sammy."

Sam kissed the top of Rory's head and brought his fingers to stroke his hair. "Goodnight, baby."


	15. Brothers

Rory groaned as he reached toward the nightstand to answer the ringing phone that had woken him. He cracked his eyes open to where Sam's phone was lit up brightly on the nightstand. It was still dark and all he wanted to do was cuddle back into Sam's side and go back to sleep. He'd been so warm and content that he'd debated just ignoring the phone altogether, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. Not after what happened last time he'd missed a call. His eyes were still blurry from sleep, so he put the phone to his ear without checking the caller id.

"H-Hello?" he questioned sleepily. He cleared his throat and tried again.

"Rory, sweetheart, where's Sam?" the voice responded cheerfully. It was Sam's mother.

"He's asleep, ma'am."

"Asleep?" Her voice was confused. "It's nearly 10:30 in the morning."

"No. It's only 5:30 here, Mrs. Evans," Rory said calmly, sitting up and rubbing his eyes.

Her voice was sharper when she answered. "5:30? Where _exactly_ is _here_?"

Rory squeezed his eyes shut tightly. He had no idea how to respond. Apparently Sam had forgotten to mention his impromptu trip to his parents. "Uh, Mrs. Evans," he started. "My brother, Seamus, had a terrible accident and Sam bought me a ticket to fly home to be with him, and he came with me."

He heard a sharp intake of breath on the other end of the phone and wondered how much trouble he had just inadvertently gotten Sam into.

"I'd like to speak to Sam, please," she said flatly, struggling to keep her voice even.

"Please don't be angry with him, ma'am," Rory begged, feeling helpless and guilty for causing trouble. "He was looking out for me. I'm so sorry."

"I'm not angry, Rory," she said tensely. "You have nothing to apologize for. I hope your brother is okay."

"Yes, he's doing much better. Hopefully, he'll be able to come home soon."

"That's good to hear," she said, genuinely, before taking a deep breath."Could you put Sam on the phone please?"

"O-Okay." Rory hated the idea of waking Sam, especially when he was sleeping so peacefully. "One minute."

He pulled the phone away from his ear and shook Sam's shoulder lightly. Sam stirred unconsciously. He shook him again. "Sammy, wake up," he said quietly, brushing the hair from the blonde's forehead.

"What's the matter, babe?" he asked, groggy and barely awake, bringing his hand to rub his eyes sleepily.

"Your mother is on the phone," Rory answered, gesturing to the handset. "Did you _not_ tell her you were leaving?"

Sam sat bolt upright. "Oh my God! I forgot to call my parents! I'm screwed!" He eyed the phone anxiously as if it was about to explode. Rory held it toward him, his eyes sympathetic. Sam sighed deeply, steeling himself, and took the phone.

"Hi, mom," Sam said sheepishly.

Rory clicked on the lamp and threw his legs over the side of the bed, standing up to head toward the bathroom. He stopped by the dresser on his way back and pulled on a pair of underwear before sliding back into bed next to Sam. The blonde had the bridge of his nose pinched between his thumb and index finger.

"Yes, mom," he said automatically. "I understand."

Rory could hear a voice talking frantically on the other end of the phone but strained to make out what she was saying, picking out words like "worried sick" and "reckless". He pulled Sam's hand away from his face and laced their fingers together, giving his hand a reassuring squeeze as Sam continued to look like a kicked puppy.

"Alright, mom. I'll call you later. I'm so sorry I didn't tell you, but, like I said, I had to get to where Rory was. I told you how his father is," Sam said seriously. The voice answered, the tone calmer, less frantic, and he sighed in relief. "Okay, mom. I'll tell him. Uh-huh, I love you, too, mom. Goodbye."

He hung up the phone and sighed dramatically. His eyes were bright and amused. "I am in _so_ much trouble," he said in a breathless, nervous laugh, covering his face with his hands as he laughed, the sound was almost hysterical. Rory cocked an eyebrow at the unexpected reaction, an exasperated laugh slipping out. "I've _never_ heard my mom freak out like that. She doesn't even know that I sneak out of Finn's house at night to come over to your house and now she finds out that I left the _country_ without telling her." He dissolved into giggles again, covering his mouth in a failed attempt to stifle the manic laughter.

"You're out of your mind, Sammy," Rory said, fond exasperation coloring his tone. He wrapped his arm around Sam and pressed a kiss to his bare shoulder. "Was she really mad?"

Sam ducked his head down to kiss the top of Rory's head. "I don't think she was _mad_. She just panicked because I didn't tell her first. I'm going to get my ass kicked when I get home though." He laughed again quietly. Rory squeezed his hand, smiling.

Sam returned the smile briefly before a yawn stretched widely across his features. "Let's go back to sleep."

"I like that idea," Rory said brightly, giving Sam a quick peck on the lips. They cuddled back into the still warm bed.

-xXxXx-

Sam was the first to wake up the second time around. Rory was pressed flush against his side with one arm draped across his bare chest. Sam smiled sleepily and pressed a kiss to the top of the sleeping boy's head. He let his head fall back against the pillow, content to simply lie still and listen to Rory's deep, even breathing as he threaded his fingers through his hair, losing himself in thought as he stared at the ceiling.

"Mhm...feels good, Sammy," Rory mumbled sleepily, turning his head to kiss Sam's chest as he cuddled closer. He sighed contentedly. "What time is it?"

"Um...probably about nine. We should probably get up soon."

Rory let out a gust of breath before replying hesitantly. "I suppose you're right."

They dressed slowly, neither boy _really_ wanting to leave the peace of the hotel room. Eventually, after the third call from a very impatient Seamus, they decided they'd better start making their way to the hospital.

Rory was the first through the door to Seamus' room. He faltered back a step when he saw the bed in the center of the room was empty. He turned to Sam and the anxiety was clear in his eyes. Sam squeezed his hand reassuringly.

Rory called for his brother, his voice shaky.

A reply came from behind the closed bathroom door. "I'll be right out, Rory!" Seamus called back brightly. Rory relaxed visibly at Sam's side. The door swung open and Seamus came hobbling out on a pair of crutches, a beaming smile on his face.

"You'd better mind where you leave those or else I'll hide 'em." Rory threatened, letting out a peal of laughter. He covered his mouth in an attempt to stifle it. Seamus' face screwed up into an adorable pout as he stuck his tongue out at Rory petulantly.

Sam glanced between the two, confused. Rory laughed again and squeezed Sam's hand. "When I was thirteen, Seamus and I were climbing the tree behind my house, and I fell out and broke my leg. He thought it was hilarious and was always hiding my crutches."

Seamus laughed cheerfully. "Well, it _was_ funny. I'd steal them when he was in the shower, and he'd have to hobble to our bedroom naked." He covered his mouth to try to stifle the burst of giggles that poured out at the memory.

Rory scowled at his brother, spinning on Sam when he failed to disguise his laughter as a coughing fit. The rebuking look he was getting from his boyfriend only spurred on another round of laughter. Rory rolled his eyes and smacked Sam on the arm before cracking up himself. Rory moved across the small room to pull his brother into a careful hug. "You have no idea how happy I am to see you moving around. When did you get the crutches?"

"They fitted me for them right after you left last night. The doctor said I'm doing really well and I might get to go home on Monday." Seamus' voice was bright and hopeful. Rory and Sam returned his easy smile.

Seamus crutched his way over to the bed—Rory walked behind him protectively, arms outstretched to catch his brother if he fell. He dropped down onto the bed heavily, pulling Rory down beside him and scooting into his side, resting his head against his big brother's shoulder. "I really missed you, Rory," he said, his voice low and almost sad.

"I missed you, too, Seamus," Rory said quietly, wrapping his arm around the boy's shoulders and pulling him closer. Sam went to sit in the chair next to the bed. He took Rory's hand and squeezed it, smiling.

Sam was relieved to feel how much the atmosphere had changed from the day before. It was easy now. It was all about Rory being able to be with his brother again. The almost peaceful smile on Rory's face testified to the difference. The serenity of the scene was enough to make Sam feel warm. He hadn't even realized he'd been staring until Rory laughed loudly and pushed at his shoulder.

"Sammy, Seamus asked you a question," Rory said, amusement coloring his tone.

Sam shook his head lightly and glanced between the two, a small smile on his face. "I'm sorry, Seamus. What did you say?"

Seamus straightened up on the bed. "Why did you buy Rory a ring for his birthday?" he asked curiously. "I didn't think boys were supposed to give each other rings and stuff." Seamus' eyebrows knitted in confusion. The statement was innocently curious. Rory smiled and patted his brother on the knee.

"It's a promise ring. I gave it to him because I love him." He lifted the back of Rory's hand to his lips and kissed it. Seamus smiled at the display. Rory brushed his knuckles across Sam's cheek, a smile stretched widely across his small face. "Guys can give each other rings, too."

"Well, I like it. It looks cool," Seamus said happily, eyeing the ring on his brother's left hand. Rory patted his brother on the knee and started to get out of the bed. "Where are you going, Rory?" Seamus asked, his voice almost nervous.

"I am going down to the cafeteria and get myself and Sam a cup of coffee. Did you want anything?" He took his brother's hand and squeezed it lightly. Seamus nodded quickly, a grin stretching from ear to ear, as he began rattling off a list of candy for Rory to bring back. Sam laughed as he reached into his pocket and pulled out their stash of money, pressing it into Rory's outstretched palm. Rory leaned down to give Sam a quick kiss before exiting the room.

Sam and Seamus sat in an awkward silence for a moment. It was almost comical how Sam could tell that there was something weighing heavily on Seamus' mind. It seemed like being an open-book ran in the Flanagan family. Seamus' eyebrows were knitted together as he contemplated whatever it was that he had to say. Sam decided to take the same approach he always took when Rory was introspective like this. He let the silence stretch on, positive that Seamus would tell him what was on his mind eventually. He had been right. A small smile settled on his face as Seamus fidgeted with the hem of the blanket and began to talk.

"Sam," he started before pausing, his voice sheepish and quiet. "I'm so worried about Rory in America, but now I'm just as scared for him to come home because of our da. I hear what he says about Rory and I hate it. I just don't know what to do, Sam. I want Rory to come home, but I don't want da to hurt him." The words came out in a quiet, anxious rush. Sam almost had to strain to catch it all. "I love Rory, and I don't want him to get hurt." Seamus' face fell, his eyes fixed on the blanket between his fingers.

"Rory won't get hurt, Seamus," Sam promised, putting a hand on the boy's shoulder. "I'd _never_ let that happen." Seamus' face brightened up at the ring of sincerity in Sam's words. "I would never let _anything_ hurt Rory."

"Do you promise?" Seamus asked in a tiny voice. The childish pleading in the words broke Sam's heart. He gave the boy a small smile, taking his hand and giving it a deliberate squeeze. "Seamus, I _promise_ not to let anything hurt Rory. I'll keep him safe." It was the easiest promise he'd ever made.

Seamus smiled, apparently pleased with Sam's response.

The tense charge evaporated from the room, the mood settling back into something lighter. Sam asked the boy about school and Seamus launched into a full description of his day to day routine. The blonde leaned back in his chair and listened to Seamus' easy chatter, amused by the way the boy would laugh at his own humor every time he'd say something amusing.

It was easy to see why Rory loved his brother so much. His personality was infectious. It was impossible not to find him endearing. Sam listened, amused, as Seamus continued to ramble about his classmates, classes, and his teachers. He settled back into his chair, grinning widely. He was sure that Seamus wouldn't run out of things to talk about anytime soon.

-xXxXx-

Rory had been halfway to the cafeteria when his phone rang. He checked the caller id screen and answered quickly.

"Hello, mammy," he said cheerfully before asking, "Where are you?"

"Hello, love. I'm on my way to see your brother. Are you at the hospital right now?"

"Uh-huh. Sam and I both are."

His mother's voice came back quickly. Her tone was solemn enough to concern Rory. "Are you _with_ Seamus?"

Rory was confused. "N-No, I'm in the cafeteria getting coffee for myself and Sam." He left out the part about buying candy for Seamus to eat for breakfast, sure that she'd protest.

"Good," her voice was relieved, but still heavy.

"What's going on?" Rory asked, pulling a chair out from a nearby table and sitting down and resting his elbows against the tabletop.

His mother took a deep breath to steady herself. "Rory, I'm divorcing your father."

Rory leaned back in his chair and nodded to himself. He knew that this would mean a major upheaval, but he couldn't help the wave of relief that swept through him. A weight lifted from his shoulders as he thought about how he wouldn't have to worry about his father hurting Seamus anymore or belittling his mother in one of his trademark rages. His voice was even and calm as he responded. "Where will you stay?"

"I'm calling your grandmother as soon as I hang up with you."

Rory nodded again, relieved that there was a plan in place.

"Are you okay?" he asked pointedly.

"I'm just worried about how your brother is going to handle this." Her voice quivered slightly.

"He's so much stronger than you think. He gets it from you," Rory said quietly, a small smile on his face. "This is a good thing. Eventually, he'll understand that."

"You're right, Rory." She sighed deeply. "You always are." There was pride and affection evident in her tone. Another breath gusted out, crackling in the phone. "Okay, go be with your brother. I'll be there in a little while."

"I love you, mammy," Rory said earnestly.

"I love you, too, Rory," she returned, adoration for her son clear in her voice. Rory smiled at her tone, warmth flooding through him.

After reassuring his mother again that she was making the right move, they disconnected. A smile spread across Rory's face. He felt guilty for feeling so happy about such an intrinsically _bleak_ thing, but he couldn't ward off the grin.

-xXxXx-

As he approached the door to his brother's hospital room, Rory couldn't help himself. He paused right outside the cracked door and listened to the conversation inside the room. He laughed to himself as he realized that he'd probably should have warned Sam about getting Seamus started on a tangent. He listened as his brother prattled about everything that crossed his mind. He risked peeking through the crack to look inside the room. The scene inside warmed him to the core. Seamus was chatting easily with Sam, gesturing animatedly with one hand as Sam held the other. There was a tranquil smile on Sam's face as he listened.

Rory pushed the door the rest of the way open. Both boys turned their attention to the door, smiling and greeting him in unison. Rory laughed quietly and walked over to the bed to press a kiss to his brother's forehead. Seamus wrinkled his nose petulantly, but there was still an adoring smile on his face. Rory stepped back and ruffled his brother's hair before dropping an ungodly amount of candy in his lap. Sam's eyes widened as he attempted to figure out how much that lot set them back, but quickly gave up, still having no idea how to calculate the foreign money. It didn't matter anyway. As long as the candy made Seamus happy, it was money well spent. Rory settled back onto the bed by his brother's side, taking Sam's hand, as he watched Seamus begin to devour the candy.

None of the boys noticed that anyone else had entered the room until they heard the sound of someone clicking their tongue in disapproval. "Seamus!" The boy looked up to the sound of his mother's voice, freezing in mid-bite of his _second_ bar of chocolate, his eyes widening with surprise. Her eyes darted across the graveyard of candy wrappers strewn across the bed. "How much candy have you had?" she asked, her voice almost incredulous.

"Not—Not a lot," he lied feebly, trying to hide some of the wrappers under the blanket.

It was such a poor lie that Mrs. Flanagan laughed. "You're a terrible liar just like your brother, Seamus." She crossed the small room to take her youngest son's face between her hands and kiss his forehead before pulling away and doing the same thing to Rory. His face lit up brightly at the affection. The woman stepped back slightly, Rory's face still in her hands. She slid her thumb across his cheek, smiling kindly. "God, I missed doing that." She pulled Rory into a hug. He returned it enthusiastically, squeezing tightly.

Sam smiled as he took in the peaceful, happy look on Rory's face. Mrs. Flanagan soon turned to face him. "Good morning, Sam," she said kindly, reaching across the bed to pat his hand.

"Good morning, Mrs. Flanagan," Sam replied, his voice light.

She sighed and glanced between her sons. "Boys, I just got off the phone with your grandmother. We're going to be staying with her and granddad for awhile, okay?" She was speaking mainly to Seamus. Rory exchanged a knowing look with his mother before turning his head toward his brother, waiting for his response.

"Why?" he asked, his voice confused.

"Honey, I'm leaving your father. He hurt you and Rory and that's not okay. I love you both more than anything else, and I will do whatever it takes to keep you out of harm's way."

Seamus' face was fixed into a mask of shock. Rory wrapped his arm around his brother's shoulders and pulled him tightly against his side. "Seamus, it's better like this. I promise. You just have to trust me, okay?"

Seamus looked up toward his brother's face and nodded woodenly. "O-Okay, Rory."

Rory reached out to take his mother's hand and give it a reassuring squeeze. She met his eyes and nodded. There was determination on her face. They both knew that Seamus would be okay. He'd cry and be confused for a little while, but he'd be alright, because this needed to be done.

Seamus leaned further into Rory's side and sniffled quietly. Rory pressed a kiss to the top of his hair. "It's going to be okay, Seamus. I promise," he murmured into his brother's ear. "Everything's going to be okay."


	16. Memories

Visiting hours had come and gone, and Sam, Rory, and Mrs. Flanagan were shown to the door. Rory still took issue with not being able to stay with his brother, but finally relented after the doctor promised that Seamus would be released on Monday. Rory shut the door behind him, giving it a longing glance as Sam laced their fingers together and began to lead him down the hallway.

"Come on, boys," Mrs. Flanagan said. Her voice was tired but still managed to be bright. "I'm going to take you out to dinner."

"You don't have to do that, mammy," Rory protested. "You've got to-"

"Rory, don't tell me what I've _got_ to do. My son is in town with his boyfriend, so what I've _got_ to do is take them out to celebrate," she corrected, her voice stern but still motherly and kind.

Sam laughed softly and squeezed Rory's hand as he mumbled something in Irish beside him. Sam didn't know what he said, but it earned him a stern look and a smack to the back of his head from his mother. Rory didn't argue anymore after that.

A helpful young waitress showed the trio to their seats, asking for their drink orders a little too eagerly, staring dreamily at Sam's face as he asked for a Coke. Rory slid closer into Sam's side and lifted their intertwined hands to rest on the table. Sam was oblivious, but the waitress got the hint. She frowned and left the table with a barely cordial, "I'll bring those right back for you."

Mrs. Flanagan covered her mouth to stifle the giggle that threatened to slip out. Sam glanced between her and Rory's sly smile, confused, before shrugging it off. Mrs. Flanagan finally managed to pull herself together. "Rory, love, you should come stay at grandma and grandad's. They miss you."

Anxious hopefulness crossed Rory's features. "D-Do they, really? They're not...?" he trailed off. His mother cocked her head to the side curiously. Rory sighed and tried again. "They're not mad at me?"

Shock flitted across Mrs. Flanagan's face as she quickly reached forward to seize one of her son's hands. "Why on Earth would they be mad at you, Rory? They love you. Just like they always have." Her voice turned earnest at the end, and Rory relaxed visibly with the assurance, a smile breaking across his face.

The conversation took a much lighter tone. Rory's mother started pressing for details of his stay in America, asking if he'd met any celebrities. When Sam had laughed and tried to explain that it was very unlikely that Rory would run into Colin Farrell or any of the Kardashians in Lima, she looked genuinely disappointed. She quickly moved on to a new line of questioning. "So, Sam," she said conversationally, picking up her coffee cup. "Tell me about your family. Rory went on and on about his Christmas holiday with your parents."

Rory smiled and turned his eyes to Sam. "My parents loved Rory. So did my brother and sister. I think they like him more than they like me," Sam laughed, squeezing Rory's hand. "Every time I call, they ask when I'm bringing him back." Mrs. Flanagan laughed brightly and took a sip of her coffee.

Sam launched into the story of how he and Rory taught Stacy and Stevie how to build a snowman, explaining how he had to all but drag Rory inside out of the cold. "Every time I would turn around, Rory would be outside in the snow with my brother and sister," Sam said lightly, amused.

"He's always been that way, Sam. Even when he was little," Mrs. Flanagan joked, smiling at her son. "I used to call him my little snow angel." She reached across the small table to stroke Rory's cheek lightly.

Rory's cheeks flushed crimson and he dropped his head into the cradle of his arms with a grumbled, "Oh my God".

Sam covered his mouth in a doomed effort to stifle his laughter. "That's totally adorable." The blonde laughed again brightly and wrapped his arm around Rory's shoulders, squeezing gently. Rory looked up hesitantly, his face glowing red in embarrassment. Sam couldn't resist leaning forward and pressing a quick kiss to the boy's lips, sliding his thumb across the apple of Rory's cheek and whispering, "I am _so_ in love with you, Rory."

The younger boy's face lit up at the admission. He pressed his hand against Sam's, holding the blonde's hand to his face for a moment before lacing their fingers together and dropping them to the table. "I love you so much, Sam," he promised quietly.

They'd been so lost in their exchange that they'd all but forgotten Mrs. Flanagan's presence. Sam briefly worried that maybe they'd overstepped some boundary, but his fears were immediately erased. When he risked a glance in her direction, she was watching them with wide, bright eyes, an adoring smile stretched so widely across her face that it looked almost painful.

The waitress suddenly appeared with their plates. She set them down in turn and quickly excused herself. The trio ate in companionable silence for a while before Mrs. Flanagan spoke. "I want to get everything packed and moved to your grandmother's house before Seamus gets released from the hospital."

"Whatever you need help with, I'd be happy to do what I can," Sam assured. Rory nodded in agreement.

"Thank you, boys," she said kindly. "We'll have to be fairly quick. I don't want Rory's father coming home while you're there." Her voice turned hard. Sam had to fight back a growl at the idea of Rory being near his father again.

"Don't worry, mammy. We'll get everything done." Rory leaned forward and patted his mother's hand, a reassuring smile on his face.

-xXxXx-

Rory sat in the passenger's seat of the car, chatting easily with his mother. Sam sat in the back and listened to their conversation without commenting. He loved how genuine and caring their relationship was. The younger boy turned in his seat to face Sam, his face bright. "I can't believe you get to see my house."

"I know," Sam said, his voice a little heavier than Rory's. "I wish it wasn't like this, though."

Rory nodded slowly. "I hate that we don't get to stay there." he admitted, his tone still light. "I think you'll like my grandma and grandad." His face screwed up in confusion and he looked at his mother. "Mammy, have you told them about Sam?"

A smile spread across her face. "I told them you fancied a cute, blonde, American boy."

Rory's cheeks reddened and Sam chuckled quietly. "Did you really have to tell them all that?" Rory mumbled.

"They're happy for you, love." She reached over to pat Rory's cheek. "They just want you to be happy."

Rory sighed and let it go.

The car pulled into a small driveway. Sam looked out the window to get a better look at the house. Though it was a different color, it reminded Sam of his own home in Kentucky. The small, white house looked warm and inviting. Sam climbed out of the car and quickly opened Rory's door, offering his hand to help the boy from the car. Mrs. Flanagan was already on the tiny front porch, unlocking the deadbolt and pushing the door open.

As soon as the two boys came through the door, she closed it. "Okay, boys," she started, sighing. "Rory, I want you and Sam to go pack your clothes and things in a bag. You took a lot of them to America, so that won't be too much work. Then, go pack Seamus', please." Her voice was determined. She rattled off a small list of things that Rory needed to make sure to pack. Rory nodded along until she finished. He took Sam's hand and pulled him up a narrow staircase and into a small hallway.

Rory walked quickly toward the first of the two doors on the left side of the hallway before rocking back on his heels and turning to look at Sam. "This is my room," he said excitedly, turning the knob and opening the door. As it creaked opened, Rory towed him inside the tiny room and pushed him down onto the twin bed tucked away in the corner, climbing on top of him to straddle his waist. He leaned down to press his lips eagerly against Sam's. The blonde barked a surprised laugh, surprised by Rory's unexpected enthusiasm.

The younger boy broke the kiss, laughing quietly. "I'm sorry." He laughed again briefly and pressed a short kiss to the corner of Sam's mouth. "I just couldn't resist kissing you on my bed." He bent forward and kissed Sam again quickly, a wide smile stretched across his small face. "Alright," he said pointedly, smacking Sam's hip with playful roughness. "Let's get to work." Sam nodded and Rory climbed off the bed. The blonde sat up and took a moment to really look at Rory's bedroom as the younger boy bustled around the tiny room gathering his clothes and throwing them in a duffel bag.

As he looked around the room, he was suddenly struck by the fact that everything Rory knew was about to change. This wasn't going to be his bedroom anymore. He got up from the bed to walk to where Rory was standing in the middle of the room. The blonde wrapped his arms around Rory's waist and pressed a kiss to the side of his neck.

"Are you okay, babe?" Sam asked quietly, resting his chin on Rory's shoulder.

"Yeah," Rory replied wistfully. "It's just strange. This has been my room since I was born."

"I know." Sam commiserated. "It's hard to let go, but it's for the best."

Rory sighed again, his head falling back against Sam's shoulder. " _I_ know that it's for the best, but I'm so worried about how Seamus is going to take all this. He doesn't deserve to have his life uprooted like this. Especially when it's _my_ fault." Rory's voice turned sad.

Sam stiffened behind him. "Rory! What _part_ of this could you possibly think is your fault?" he asked angrily, turning Rory around to face him. Rory's eyes glistened with tears and he wouldn't meet Sam's gaze. Sam put his finger under Rory's chin and lifted his face until their eyes met. "Baby, _none_ of this is your fault. _You_ didn't do this. _He_ did," Sam said slowly, stressing each word. He slid his hands up and down Rory's arms as he spoke.

"If I hadn't-"

"No," Sam stated sharply, cutting Rory off. "Your coming out had nothing to do with what your father did to Seamus." Sam pulled Rory into his chest and hugged him tightly. "None of this is your fault, so don't try and take the blame for it."

He held Rory for a minute before pushing softly at his shoulder. "Now come on." Sam made his voice light. "Let's go pack up your brother's stuff."

A small smile crossed Rory's face. He let out a huff of air. "What would I ever do without you, Sammy?" Rory asked rhetorically.

Sam smiled and leaned forward to connect their lips in a sweet kiss before lifting the duffel bag of Rory's clothes and assorted little items from the floor and taking his boyfriend's hand. He set the bag in the hallway and followed Rory into Seamus' bedroom.

-xXxXx-

It had taken them less than two hours to pack an entire lifetime of meaningful possessions and memories into boxes. From necessity, so many things were left behind, but all of the things that remained could be easily replaced. The small amount of bags and boxes fit easily into Mrs. Flanagan's car, so with a parting glance at what they were leaving behind, the three pulled out of the driveway and headed for Rory's grandmother's house.

The house was much larger than the Flanagan home. The brick exterior was cracking slightly, but the house looked warm and welcoming all the same. Rory drummed his fingers against his knees nervously as his mother turned the car off. His eyes darted around anxiously.

"Rory, love, it's going to be fine," his mother soothed, reaching out to still Rory's hand as it worried a loose thread of his jeans. Rory looked up to meet her eyes, and Sam could see the rampant anxiety in his blue eyes. Mrs. Flanagan gave her son a tranquil smile and patted Rory's cheek. "They love you, Rory. Just like they always have." Rory's eyes flitted nervously toward Sam. The woman smiled, knowing immediately what was going through her son's mind. "They'll love him, too. I'm sure of it."

Sam tried to hide his smile at her words. "Mrs. Flanagan, if it's going to be any trouble at all, I can stay at the hotel. I really don't mind."

"You absolutely will not," the woman said, affronted. "You're going to stay right here with Rory, where you belong."

Emotion flooded through Sam and a broad smile dawned on his face. His words came out barely above a whisper. "Thank you, Mrs. Flanagan. I..." he trailed off, at a loss for how to finish his sentiment. "Just, thank you." He leaned into the front seat and kissed her on the cheek.

"You're welcome, love," she said sweetly. "Now, let's get this stuff inside. After we get everything sorted, I'll take you both to pack up that nasty hotel room," Mrs. Flanagan added, wrinkling her nose. Sam nodded once in assent and climbed out of the car to open Rory's door. His mother just watched the scene with a fond expression.

Sam made sure to do the lion's share of the work, sorting through the boxes and bags to separate the heaviest ones so that he could carry them inside. It wasn't that he thought Rory wasn't strong enough to carry them. Sam had just been raised to be a gentleman and his father's words still resonated in his mind. _"Just because Rory isn't a girl does not mean that you get to act like any less of a gentleman. Remember how you were raised, son."_

The work had gotten done rather quickly, but by the end, Sam was exhausted. It was all he could do to stay awake on the car ride to the hotel to retrieve their bags. As soon as they'd walked back inside the house, Rory insisted on showing Sam to where they'd be sleeping—a small room in a partially finished basement. Rory's mother would be taking the guest room on the first floor until Seamus was released and then she'd move into the basement after Sam and Rory went back to America.

Sam collapsed on the creaky double bed, toeing off his shoes and flicking them across the room with his feet. Rory cuddled into his side, resting his head against the blonde's chest. Sam tried to shrug away, but Rory held him close. "Aww, babe, I must reek. I've been lifting boxes all day."

Rory smiled and laced their fingers together against Sam's chest. "I don't mind," he said dismissively, snuggling closer. "I want to thank you properly for helping my mother. It means _so_ much to me, Sammy. You have no idea." He stretched up and kissed Sam on the lips, slipping his hand under Sam's shirt to slide across his stomach as he dropped his head back to the blonde's chest, sighing contentedly. "I love you, Sam."

Sam tipped his head downward and kissed the top of Rory's head. "I love you, too, Rory."

They lay in silence for a few minutes before Sam finally insisted on taking a shower. Rory laughed and pointed him toward the small bathroom in the corner of the basement. Sam threw himself off the bed and kissed Rory quickly before heading toward the bathroom. Rory called for him to come upstairs when he was finished.

Sam let the water beat down on his tired muscles, the heat releasing some of the knots in his shoulders. The only thing the shower really did was manage to make him more tired than he'd already been. He sighed and shut the water off, wrapping a towel around his waist and making for his duffel bag. It was late enough that Sam could get away with putting on pajamas. He dressed quickly and padded his way upstairs, dropping down heavily next to Rory on the couch. The news played on the television, but Sam wasn't paying attention. Rory could see that Sam was in a daze. The younger boy's face screwed up with concern. "What's the matter, Sam?"

"Tired," Sam mumbled, resting his head against Rory's shoulder. "Mmm...shoulders hurt."

Rory smiled and turned himself until he was behind Sam. He lifted his hands to Sam's shoulders and began kneading the knotted muscles. Sam's eyes fluttered closed and he melted beneath his boyfriend's hands. Rory laughed softly when he heard Sam's breathing even out into the steady pattern of sleep. He slid back on the couch and pulled Sam further onto the couch. The blonde adjusted himself unconsciously until he was lying with his head on Rory's lap.

Rory toyed idly with the blonde locks as Sam slept. He looked up when he heard someone enter the room. "Is he asleep?" Mrs. Flanagan asked, her voice sweet. Rory smiled and nodded. "Good," she said, dropping down into the easy chair next to the couch. "Grandma and grandad have already gone to bed. I talked to them while you two were downstairs. They can't wait to meet Sam, but I told them it was best to wait until morning. Poor boy was exhausted."

"He worked hard today," Rory affirmed. "He's such a good man, mammy."

"I see that," the woman said easily. "He's good for you, Rory. He loves you so much. He treats you like gold."

Rory smiled and cast his eyes to the sleeping boy in his lap. "I know he does. I love him, too."

Mrs. Flanagan smiled before her face turned serious. "Rory, I don't tell you enough just how proud I am of you," she said thickly. "Because I am. I am _so_ proud of the man you've become."

Rory leaned forward and took his mother's hand, a small smile on his face. "You tell me plenty, mammy. I'm glad I can make you proud. That's all I want."

She squeezed his hand pointedly. "And, I love you no matter what. You will always be my baby, Rory."

"I love you, too, mammy," Rory said, a wide smile on his face. His mother leaned forward and captured him into a hug. Rory returned it enthusiastically. "Okay," she said, straightening her shirt. "I'm going to go to bed. Goodnight." She leaned forward and kissed Rory's forehead before sliding her hand across the upper part of Sam's arms affectionately. Rory wished her goodnight and leaned back against the couch. He knew he should wake Sam up to get him downstairs, but he couldn't bring himself to move. Finally, though, he couldn't keep his eyes open any longer, so he gently nudged Sam's shoulder. "Sammy," he said in a hushed tone, brushing wayward hair from his forehead. Sam grumbled sleepily. "Come on, love. We have to go to bed now."

Rory gently rolled Sam forward to prompt him to move. The blonde groaned and took the hint, unwillingly sitting up and rubbing his eyes. Rory pressed a kiss to his temple and took his hand. "Come on." He helped Sam down the stairs, flicking off the lights as he went. Rory turned down the bed and gestured for Sam to get in. The older boy kissed him quickly in appreciation and climbed under the blankets. Rory rifled through his bag and gathered an armful of pajamas. He went into the bathroom to brush his teeth and get ready for bed. He intended to take a shower, but settled on just washing up with a cloth. He'd take a shower in the morning. He brushed his teeth and headed toward the bed. Sam was already asleep, snoring softly.

Just as he was about to lie down, he heard a banging on the front door. He darted up the stairs to investigate the noise before it woke anyone up. As he got into the living room and turned on the light, he was able to see a man standing on the front step pounding his fist into the door and yelling. Apparently, his father had figured out that his mother had left home. Anger enveloped Rory and before he could stop himself, he wrenched the door open and pushed his father back a step. "Knock it off!" he snapped. "You'll wake the entire house."

"This is _your_ fault, you little bastard!" the man slurred, drunk. Rory rolled his eyes. He'd expected nothing less.

"No," Rory stated plainly, his voice angry but even. He poked a finger into his father's chest. "This is all _your_ fault. You were _awful_ to mam and she finally came to her senses and left you."

The man faltered back a step, clearly rethinking whatever it was he had planned to say. "Now you listen to me," Rory said in a low, dark voice. "I don't give a _damn_ what you think of me. I'm going to go to bed tonight and lie down with Sam, and there's nothing you can say that will change that. I'm happy with him, not that you care. What I _do_ care about is my mother and Seamus. I don't want you to come near them. They don't need you."

"How dare you speak to me like that!" Mr. Flanagan said, affronted. "You have absolutely no respect-"

"I have respect for those who deserve it. You don't. You mean nothing. You will stay away from mam and stay away from Seamus," Rory said, his voice ringing with finality.

"What are you going to do? You're nothing but a queer boy," Mr. Flanagan sneered.

"I'm more of a man than you'll _ever_ be, no thanks to you," Rory snapped before evening out his voice.

Mr. Flanagan's mouth fell open. Rory took the opportunity to reiterate that he need to keep his distance before slamming the door in the man's stunned face and locking it. He flicked off the porch light but watched to make sure his father went on his way. The shamed man trudged to his car and drove away. Rory sighed and scrubbed a hand across his face.

He turned around to walk back to bed and saw his mother standing silently in the doorway to the living room. "H-How much of that did you hear?" he asked anxiously. As she crossed the room, Rory could see the tears rolling down her face. He pulled the woman into his arms and hugged her tightly. "He's gone, mammy," Rory promised.

"You're such a good man, Rory," his mother whispered, her voice thick and husky with emotion.

He just hugged his mother tighter as she cried against his shoulder. Finally, she leaned back and took his face into her hands, pulling him down to press a kiss to his forehead. "Go to sleep, my love." She stroked her thumb across his cheek. "Thank you so much."

"Don't thank me," Rory mumbled. "I love you."

She pressed another kiss to his head and shoved him toward his bedroom. "Go."

Rory smiled and obliged, descending the stairs and crawling into bed next to Sam, cuddling into his side and falling asleep quickly.

-xXxXx-

Rory woke up to the sound of Sam on the phone. Sam saw him stirring and met his eyes, his expression sympathetic. "Sorry," Sam mouthed. Rory patted his arm. "Okay, Burt. I've got to go. Rory's awake." Sam said his goodbye and disconnected the phone, sighing.

"What's the matter?" Rory asked, concerned.

"I've got to go home. My plane leaves at five." Sam's voice was sad. "I told Burt that Seamus was getting released tomorrow. He said that I need to come back to Lima since everything is okay now."

Rory nodded dejectedly. "I understand. I was hoping we could fly home together, but I guess you do need to get back to school."

Sam had wanted the same thing. All he could muster as a response was a weak, "Yeah, I do."

Breakfast wasn't nearly as awkward as Sam had been expecting. Rory had excused himself to take a shower, so Sam went upstairs without him. His grandparents didn't say very much, but the way they watched Sam made him feel self-conscious. Luckily, he didn't have to supply much in the way of conversation. Mrs. Flanagan filled her parents in about Sam. He was surprised and amused by how much she knew about him, and he idly wondered how much Rory must have talked him in order for her to glean so much information.

Rory came upstairs shortly after breakfast and fixed himself a plate, dropping down next to his grandmother and giving her a quick kiss on the cheek. She beamed in response, patting his hand on the table. She launched into a series of questions about how Rory liked America. He gave her a detailed account of day to day life. She seemed pleased by how excited Rory was about his stay in America. She excused herself shortly after to clean up the dishes, politely refusing Sam's help. She patted the blonde's hand and gave him a parting smile.

After lunch, Sam and Rory went downstairs to pack up Sam's things. Rory twined his arms around Sam's neck. "I wish you didn't have to leave, Sam," Rory said sadly, connecting their lips sweetly.

"I know. I don't want to," Sam responded quietly.

They loaded Sam's bag into the car and headed toward the airport. Rory chose to sit in the back with Sam, leaning into his side silently.

Check-in went quickly and before Rory was ready, it was time for Sam to leave. He threw his arms around the blonde's neck. "I love you so much, Sam. I'll be home as soon as I can," his voice was bordering on desperate.

"Shh, baby. I love you, too." Sam quieted, kissing him softly on the lips. He got a secret pleasure from hearing the way Rory referred to Lima as _home_. "Take care of Seamus. Don't worry about me."

"Call me as soon as you land in New York," Rory urged, leaning forward to capture Sam's lips again.

"Okay," Sam promised, pulling Rory in for a tight hug, burying his face in the crook of the younger boy's neck to breathe in his scent. "I love you, Rory."

Rory pulled back and met Sam's warm, green eyes. "I love you, too, Sam."

Sam gave Rory a parting squeeze and a quick kiss before disappearing through the security gate.


	17. Bad Dreams

The sun was blacked out. The sky was now almost pitch black, despite being bright only seconds before. The scene was blurred around the edges like damaged film. Sam was aware, somewhere in his mind, that he was dreaming, but the images playing out in front of him were still terrifying. In the dark gloom of the scene, Rory sat alone in the center of a dingy, empty room, his knees pulled up tight to his chest. Tears were flowing freely down his face. Even in the dim light, it was clear that the brunet was trembling. Sam wanted to run and comfort him but couldn't. He felt bound, trapped. Rory needed him, but there was nothing he could do. He was helpless. Rory's eyes darted fitfully around the room, searching. A quiet whimper escaped his lips, and he pulled his knees tighter to his chest before brokenly whispering, "Sammy."

Sam woke up with a start, sitting straight up in his bed. His pillow had managed to find its way to the floor and the blankets were destroyed. The only sheet that remained on the bed was the top sheet that was hopelessly tangled around his legs. He scrubbed his hand across his face, shaking his head sharply to try and dispel the nightmare. The same one he'd had for three nights. Always the same nightmare of Rory. Alone. Scared. The thought was too much. He just wanted to hold Rory in his arms and cling to him protectively as they slept. He knew that Rory could stand up for himself, but that did nothing to dissuade Sam's protective instinct.

Right now, it was hell. He'd had to go back to school and make the attempt to function normally while being stressed to the point of exhaustion. There were so many uncertainties about Rory being in Ireland by himself. Especially now. Every possible worst-case-scenario played itself out in Sam's head. He knew there was no way in hell he'd be able to get back to sleep. It was just like last night. And the night before. And the night before. Tonight, he finally caved. He had to hear Rory's voice. Even if it was just over the telephone. He needed to hear his voice and know that he was okay.

Sam eyed the clock and did a quick calculation. It was just after midnight in America, so it would be around 5:00 A.M. in Ireland. He was pretty sure that Rory wouldn't be awake, but he had to call anyway. He reached out and quickly dialed Rory's number, dropping himself back onto his pillow. The phone rang so many times that Sam was about to hang up, but just as he was about to pull the phone away from his ear it connected.

"H-Hello?" Rory's voice was groggy and mostly asleep. Sam suddenly felt a pang of guilt for waking him.

"Hey, baby," he said, relief flooding through him at just the sound of his boyfriend's voice.

"Sam? What—What's the matter? Is everything okay?" Rory's voice was more alert now.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, Sam realized that he probably should have started the call with a reassurance that everything was alright and that there was no reason for panic. He hadn't thought about the fact that normal people don't call anyone at five in the morning unless someone is either dead or on fire. "Yeah," Sam answered in what he hoped was a soothing voice. "I just..." he broke off, realizing now that he was completely awake that he was an eighteen year old man who was calling his boyfriend because he had a bad dream.

Rory's tone was concerned, carrying the air of 'I think my boyfriend has lost his mind'. "You just what, love?"

"I had a nightmare," Sam answered sheepishly, feeling like an idiot for waking Rory up. He scrubbed his hand across his face. "I-I just wanted to hear your voice. To make sure that you were okay."

"Oh, Sammy," Rory's voice was loving, the tone sending warmth through Sam. "I'm fine. Everything is fine here. I miss you so much, though." There was a rustling on Rory's end of the phone that sounded like he was sitting himself up in bed. "Why don't you tell me about your dream?"

"Okay, baby," he said softly, sighing. Talking to Rory made a sense of calm wash over the blond. He slid further under his blankets and slowly told Rory about his nightmare. As much as he didn't want Rory to worry about him, he felt the need to tell him everything, to have Rory listen and tell him that everything was going to be okay.

Rory listened in almost silence. Though Sam couldn't see, he knew that Rory was nodding along to what he heard. The image of his boyfriend's predictable response made him smile. When Sam finished, Rory sighed quietly. "God, I wish I was there. I hate that you're worrying about me."

"It's okay. Really. Just talking to you helped. I feel so much better."

"That's good," Rory said, quietly cheerful. "I love you, Sammy."

"I love you too, Rory. So much," Sam replied reverently.

Rory changed the subject, asking Sam about school. The blond sighed and recounted the events of his day. Rory didn't seem satisfied with the answer. "Sam," he chided softly. "You're making _yourself_ miserable. You got along just fine at McKinley before I showed up, and I'm sure you can handle a few days without me."

"I know that I _can._ I just don't _want_ to," Sam answered miserably. "Before you came to McKinley, I didn't know you." Sam was aware of how cheesy he sounded but continued anyway. Just because it was cheesy didn't mean it wasn't completely true. "Now that I've met you, I know what I'm missing when you're not there. It's not the same without you. It's like..." Sam trailed off searching for the right words. "I got spoiled being able to hold you until you fell asleep. Do you realize that Monday night was the first night in almost four months that I didn't to kiss you goodnight?"

"I know," Rory said affectionately. "It's hard to fall asleep without you next to me. It's like the bed is too big. Too empty."

"I know exactly what you mean," Sam sighed. "I wish you were here with me."

"I wish I was there, too," Rory sighed wistfully. Sam yawned loudly. Rory's voice, calm and soft, was pulling him back toward unconsciousness. The Irish teen laughed fondly at the sound. "Go back to sleep, Sammy."

"Rory?" Sam asked quietly.

"What is it, love?"

"Will you sing to me?"

Rory chuckled softly. "Of course I will."

Sam willed himself to stay awake as Rory quietly sang the first song they'd ever performed together, their song. The blond's body relaxed as the subtly passionate lyrics of _Hallelujah_ filled his mind. A soft smile spread across his face as his eyes fluttered closed. The song drifted to its end and Sam sighed contentedly. "Love you, Rory," he mumbled sleepily.

Rory's quiet voice was bright. "I love you, too, Sam. Goodnight. Sleep well."

"'Night, Rory."

Sam had no more than hung up before he fell asleep, feeling more peaceful than he had in almost a week.

-xXxXx-

The next day at school was just as miserable as the past few days had been. Classes dragged on. The only highlight of the entire day was glee. Sam had been so worried that he'd been pretty much out of commission all day. He'd walked into the choir room and dropped down heavily into one of the hard plastic chairs next to Kurt. The blue eyed boy looked away from Blaine when he felt Sam's presence, his face screwing up in concern. "What's the matter, Sam? Do you miss Rory?"

Sam's answering scowl told Kurt that his question had been stupid.

Kurt smiled kindly and patted Sam on the knee. "Maybe it would make it easier if you vented a little."

The blond looked up from his lap and met Kurt's friendly eyes. Blaine nodded in agreement behind his boyfriend.

Sam considered the idea briefly before nodding once. He picked up his guitar from where it sat next to him and stepped to the front of the choir room. All eyes in the room settled on him as he shifted uncomfortably. He felt awkward standing in front of a group of people, but he pushed it aside. "Hey, everybody. I know I don't usually do this, but...um...I've sorta been having a hard time with Rory being gone, so I was wondering, if it's okay, maybe I could sing a song that always reminds me of him."

"Of course, Sam!" Mr. Schuester's voice was bright, pleased that someone other than Rachel was stepping up to sing.

The blond smiled in response before putting the guitar strap over his shoulder and beginning to play.

_Breathe in for luck,  
breathe in so deep,  
this air is blessed,  
you share with me.  
This night is wild,  
so calm and dull,  
these hearts they race,  
from self control.  
Your legs are smooth,  
as they graze mine,  
we're doing fine,  
we're doing nothing at all. _

Sam's eyes were closed as he played, a million memories flooding through his mind. Holding Rory as he slept. Having to quickly put all his clothes back on and sneak out of Rory's window when they'd been a little too loud and woken up Mrs. Pierce during one of their nights together. Sam had barely made it out the window before she came bursting through the door.

_Hands down this is the best day I can ever remember,  
I'll always remember the sound of the stereo,  
the dim of the soft lights,  
the scent of your hair that you twirled in your fingers  
and the time on the clock when we realized it's so late  
and this walk that we shared together.  
The streets were wet  
and the gate was locked so I jumped it,  
and I let you in.  
And you stood at your door with your hands on my waist  
and you kissed me like you meant it.  
And I knew that you meant it,  
that you meant it,  
that you meant it,  
and I knew,  
that you meant it,  
that you meant it. _

Sam opened his eyes as he finished singing. He was pleased to be met by friendly, sympathetic smiles. He realized by the way that Kurt was holding his phone that he'd been recording the performance. His cheeks flushed lightly, but he tried to ignore the embarrassment and allow himself to be comforted by the friends who were coming to hug him. Kurt smiled widely as he sent the video to Rory.

-xXxXx-

Sam hadn't been able to talk to Rory at all that day. Rory had sent him a quick text message saying that he was going to be busy with Seamus' doctors appointments and helping his mother look for an apartment, so he wouldn't be able to use his phone much. Sam had huffed and pouted, but he knew it was a hopeless cause.

As the night approached, Sam's miserable mood was beginning to settle in again. He'd passed on dinner in favor of just shutting himself in his bedroom and wallowing in self-pity for awhile. He settled into bed, preparing himself for another less-than-restful sleep. He just hoped he'd fall asleep quickly. He didn't want to let his mind linger on the worry he felt over not talking to Rory. Worry over Rory being an ocean away where anything could happen and there would be nothing Sam could do to stop it. Yeah, he didn't want to think about that. He buried his face in the pillow and squeezed his eyes shut tightly, willing himself into unconsciousness.

When he woke up, he was too warm. His sleep-fogged mind wanted to curse whoever turned up the heat, but something in his body recognized that the source of the warmth wasn't radiating from a register. It was much closer. Against his side. His eyelids dragged open to meet a pair of sparkling blue eyes. "Good morning, Sammy."


	18. Welcome Back

"Rory?" Sam's eyes flew the rest of the way open, becoming almost comically wide. A soft chuckle escaped the brunet at the stunned expression. "You—You're home!"

Sam sat up quickly and pulled Rory into a bone crushing hug, resting his head on the younger boy's shoulder to let the familiar, comforting scent of his boyfriend's cologne wash over him. Rory was home. Rory was in his arms. Rory was safe. And for the first time in a week, Sam could take a full breath. He felt Rory's fingers sliding through his hair.

Rory laughed softly at Sam's uncontained excitement.

"Yep," he confirmed cheerfully. "Oh God, I missed you so much!" He mumbled against the skin of Sam's shoulder, letting his hands roam across his boyfriend's bare back, rememorizing every curve of the well-defined muscles.

He captured Sam's lips again and softly guided him back against the mattress, pausing to remove his own shirt as he positioned himself above his boyfriend and deepened the kiss.

After a few minutes, Sam broke away, his breathing ragged and feeling more than a little high from finally tasting Rory's lips again. "W-Wait," he panted, dizzy and warring with his desire to do anything _but_ wait. "What about school? And Burt and Carole?"

Rory gave him a chaste kiss on the lips, smiling. "Kurt talked to Mr. Hummel and you're excused from school for the day. Everyone's gone."

Sam laughed breathlessly. "How did you manage that?"

Rory echoed the laugh. "I left everything to Kurt. People don't tend to argue with Kurt. Or if they do, they never win."

Sam stretched up and captured Rory's lips again, a quiet laugh escaping his throat. "Remind me to thank Kurt later." He felt Rory's lips turn up into a smile against his own as he rolled them both so that he was over top of Rory, rolling his hips against the Irish boy's and eliciting a quiet moan.

He let his hands slide across Rory's chest and down his stomach as he kissed his way down the other boy's neck, mouthing over the skin with a clear intent to leave a mark. Rory's hips arched off the bed as he felt Sam suck roughly against his neck. Sam's hands busied themselves with the button on the front of the other boy's jeans, making short work of it and prompting Rory to lift his hips so he could slide them and his underwear down his legs.

Rory kicked them off quickly and tugged at the waistband of Sam's underwear, which quickly found their way to the floor next to Rory's discarded clothing. Sam brought his hips down roughly to create much needed friction between them, reveling in the sounds that he missed so much slipping past Rory's lips. He almost hated to put a stop to them, but he couldn't fight the urge to kiss him any longer.

They kissed indulgently, having nothing but time to spare. Rory's hands wove themselves into Sam's hair, his fingernails scratching lightly against Sam's scalp in a way that drove the blond crazy. He heard himself quietly moan Rory's name as he pressed their lips together again in a kiss that was all pure love and desire.

"P-Please, Sam," Rory whined brokenly. "I missed you so much."

Heat flooded through Sam's veins and pooled in his stomach at Rory's words. He rocked his hips down once more and another whimper tumbled from Rory's lips before reaching into his nightstand and dropped a bottle and a foil packet on the mattress beside him.

Sam sat up, partially straddling Rory, and let his fingertips slide teasingly across Rory's chest and belly. The Irish boy's eyes rolled back at his touch and he lifted his hips, rutting against Sam's ass. Sam knew there was no way that either of them were going to last very long, but even so, he couldn't help himself. Watching Rory fall apart underneath his hands was too much to resist. He let his hands roam across his chest, sliding his thumbs across the pebbled buds of his nipples as he slid down further to kneel between Rory's spread legs.

He let his palms drag lightly across Rory's upper body as they made their way to his thighs, alternating between massaging the tight muscles and ghosting his fingertips across the sensitive skin of his inner thighs until he felt the teen practically vibrating with need, quiet, half-articulated pleas falling freely from his mouth.

Sam thumbed open the cap of the bottle and coated his fingers with the slick substance before sliding up to rest next to Rory's face. Rory surged forward and kissed him urgently, his fingers knotting themselves in Sam's mess of hair. He kissed Rory as he stretched him, swallowing the whines of discomfort that turned to moans of pleasure.

Rory barely distanced himself from Sam's lips as he whined. "Please, Sammy. I-I need _you_."

His hands unknotted themselves from Sam's hair and fumbled inexpertly with the wrapper, finally tearing it open and sitting up to roll it over his boyfriend's length, unable to stop himself from letting his hand linger over the heated flesh, enveloping it in the tight circle of his hands for a few strokes. Sam moaned quietly and pushed Rory back down and connecting their mouths again.

Sam lifted Rory's legs to rest on his shoulders, feeling the other boy's calves wrap themselves around his neck. He lined himself up with Rory's entrance and leaned down to connect their mouths again, kissing him passionately as he pushed past the tight ring of muscle slowly until he bottomed out. Rory whined against his lips and Sam stilled his hips and carded his fingers through his boyfriend's hair, their eyes locked with each other's, unable to look away from what they'd missed for what seemed like an eternity.

A small smile touched Rory's face and he pushed back against Sam's hips, his thumb sliding sweetly across the apple of Sam's cheek. Sam turned his head and kissed Rory's palm as he pulled out and rolled his hips forward. Rory hummed out a soft moan, his eyes fluttering closed at the sensation. His cheeks were flushed and his hair was an absolute mess, but Sam was struck by how beautiful Rory was.

He brought his hand between them and wrapped his fist around Rory's shaft, pumping it in time with his thrusts and reveling in the sound of Rory's breathing becoming more ragged and the way he started squirming needily beneath him. Rory was desperately rocking his hips back to meet Sam's thrusts and his fingers were scrabbling against Sam's shoulder as he moaned out the blond's name as well as insistently pleading for _more_.

Sam was eager to oblige so he quickened his pace, rolling his hips into Rory in a way he worried might be almost _too_ rough, but Rory didn't seem to be complaining. He panted desperately as he reached up to grip Sam's bicep. "S-Sam..."he whined. "So close, Sam."

The blond tightened his fist and began stroking his boyfriend faster, eliciting a loud keening moan from Rory. "So close, Sam. Oh..Oh God!" Rory cried, his voice shaky and stilted. If Rory had been capable of catching his breath, the words would have come out as a scream. "Oh God, don't stop. I-I'm c-coming!"

He surged up and captured Sam's mouth, pulling him down and kissing him as he moaned out his release against his boyfriend's lips. The sound was enough to push Sam over the edge, crying out as his own orgasm took him by surprise. He collapsed from the weight of it, Rory's legs falling from his shoulders. He kissed Rory deeply as he rode out his release, panting and softly whining against his lips.

The kiss slowly lost its urgency until they were kissing just because neither wanted to break away. There was no _need_ anymore, only love and sated contentment. Sam gave Rory a chaste kiss and pulled back to look at his face, brushing a stray lock of chestnut hair from his forehead and pressing a kiss to the skin, whispering, "I love you, Rory. So much."

Rory's tired face lit up in a bright smile. "Love you, too, Sammy," he said, sleepily enthusiastic.

Sam laughed lightly at Rory's tone. He pressed a soft kiss to the Irish boy's closed eyelids and shifted to clean up. He rolled off the bed and padded to the bathroom, returning with a warm cloth. Rory sighed contentedly as Sam cleaned him up and tossed the cloth on the floor, settling onto the bed and pulling his sleepy boyfriend into his arms. He knew it was a feat that Rory had managed to stay awake at all.

As expected, the moment Rory rested his head against Sam's chest, he fell asleep entirely. Sam kissed the top of his head and quickly drifted off himself, warm and finally comfortable.

When Sam woke up, the sun was beaming through the window; it had to be at least noon. He just brought his arm to cover his eyes, groaning at the brightness. He heard a throaty chuckle and lifted his head to see Rory coming back into his room wearing a pair of his sweatpants and carrying a plate with two sandwiches on it.

"I was going to wake you up earlier, but you looked exhausted so I let you sleep," Rory said kindly, sitting down next to Sam and handing him a half sandwich and taking his hand, lacing their fingers together. "Didn't you sleep at all while I was gone?"

Sam took a bite and shook his head. "I probably did a little, but I had a hard time with it. I didn't like not knowing where you were. It made me nervous."

Rory set the plate down on Sam's nightstand and slid closer to his boyfriend's side, worried. Judging by how quickly he inhaled his half of the sandwich, Sam hadn't eaten much either.

Rory's face screwed up in concern and he pressed a kiss to the top of Sam's head before whispering. "I love you, Sammy. I'm not leaving you again."

"I love you, too, Rory," Sam promised, his voice cracking around the words. Rory put his hands on Sam's shoulders, pushing him back to see his face.

"Did you hear what I said?" Rory asked insistently. When Sam cocked his head to the side in confusion, he continued. "I said I'm not leaving you again."

Sam's face was a mask of confusion, sadness touching his eyes. "Yes, you are. You're going to have to fly home for the summer and you might not get to come back next year. Rory, I can't..." Sam trailed off, his emotions crashing down on him all at once.

He felt himself being pulled closer to Rory's side. Rory rubbed circles on his back and whispered soothing nonsense in his ear until he felt the blond begin to relax in his arms.

"Love, do you know what happened after you left?" Sam shook his head. "My mother and I stayed up all night and talked about what we were going to do."

Sam still looked perplexed so Rory continued. "She says she wants a new start. She doesn't feel safe living so close to my father. Did you know that all he does is drive back and forth in front of my grandparent's house? Sam, she doesn't want to stay in Ireland anymore. She wants to come to America."


	19. Home

Sam's eyes opened wide. "W-What?" He stumbled over the word breathlessly.

Rory nodded, a small smile on his face. "Sam, my mother wants to move over here. She says she wants to leave as quickly as possible. After you left, we started working on the paperwork for passports for herself and Seamus. She's going crazy with all the paperwork, but grandad is helping her. She's serious, Sam."

The room went silent as Rory finished. Sam's mouth just hung open dumbly as emotions flooded through him. This couldn't be real. It couldn't possibly be. He was going to wake up and the entire day will have been a dream. Rory continued to slide his thumb across Sam's knuckles, waiting for him to speak, but he said nothing. Silent tears rolled down Sam's face.

"Sammy, what's the matter?" Rory asked, alarmed. He pulled Sam against his side and leaned against the headboard. "What's wrong?"

Sam sniffled but was still unable to speak. Relief flooded washed over him as the reality of the situation hit him. He'd spent so much time being terrified about losing Rory and, recently, he'd gotten a taste of what it would actually _feel_ like to have him so far away. As the realization began to sink in, the stress and worry vanished. He wasn't going to lose Rory. The thought was enough to overwhelm him and render him speechless.

He wrapped his arms tightly around Rory's middle and hugged him close. The Irish teen held Sam and let the emotions play themselves out. He pressed a kiss to the top of Sam's head. "I'm here, Sammy. I'm not going anywhere." The truth of the words brought Sam a level of comfort he'd never experienced before. Rory _wasn't_ going anywhere. He _wasn't_ leaving.

Sam turned his head to kiss Rory's bare shoulder and let himself get carried away by the rush of pure emotion.

-xXxXx-

The rest of the family came home too soon. They just barely avoided an awkward situation with Finn thanks to the sound of his thunderous footsteps coming up the stairs. Though it had been obvious that they had been doing _something_ , they'd been able to quickly throw on underwear and t-shirts so that it wasn't immediately clear that they'd been doing _it_.

Rory had been invited to stay for dinner, an offer he'd gratefully accepted, telling everyone at the table the news that he'd be returning to McKinley in the fall for good. Sam's eyes still sparkled as he held Rory's hand on top of the table. He was pretty sure Rory's news would never lose its impact on him. He felt a fresh wave of pure excitement every time he heard the words leave his boyfriend's mouth.

On the way out, Rory thanked everyone in the family for their generosity, thanking Burt especially for funding Sam's trip to Ireland in order to be with him in his time of need.

"Mr. Hummel, you'll never know how important it was that Sam was with me when my brother was in hospital. I don't think I could have done it without him," Rory said honestly, squeezing Sam's hand.

"Sam is a good man, Rory," Burt agreed. "You're lucky to have him."

"Yes, sir, I am," Rory replied, smiling and shooting a glance in Sam's direction.

The ride back to the Pierces' had been a quiet one. It wasn't an awkward silence. They just sat, quietly enjoying each other's company, holding hands across the cab. When Sam pulled up to the curb in Finn's truck, he turned to face Rory, smiling at the bright blue eyes he'd missed so much.

"I am _so_ happy you're home, babe," Sam said, relief saturating his tone. He leaned across the cab and kissed Rory adoringly, his hand coming to rest on the Irish boy's face to hold him still. When he pulled away, he didn't go far. He just sighed and rested his forehead against Rory's. "I love you."

Rory's lips turned up into a smile and he hummed in contentment, his closed eyes fluttering open. "I love you, too, Sammy."

Sam smiled and pressed another kiss to Rory's lips, smacking his leg playfully. "Alright, go inside. I'll be back before you know it." Rory returned Sam's smile and kissed him quickly before hopping out of the truck.

Relief flooded through Sam as he watched Rory walking toward the Pierces' front door, using his key to get inside. It was _normal_. Everything had suddenly been righted and Sam was able to breathe. Everything was back to normal. He'd drop Finn's truck off back home and sneak back over to climb in Rory's window. He grinned widely at the thought and turned the key, causing the truck to roar to life.

Later that night, exactly as planned, Sam tiptoed down the stairs, creeping toward the front door. He had his hand on the doorknob when he heard a deep throaty chuckle behind him. "Goin' to see Rory?"

Sam spun on his heel to face Burt, his mouth falling open. Burt laughed at the blond's deer-in-the-headlights expression. "Kid, you'd have to be a lot craftier than that to get anything past me."

"H-How long have you known?" Sam choked out, still unsure of how much trouble he was in.

Burt laughed again and clapped Sam on the shoulder. "Before Christmas, sometime."

Sam looked down at his feet, embarrassed at being caught. "Oh."

Burt reached into the pockets of his jeans and pulled out a set of keys. "Here. It looks like it might rain. Take my truck."

Sam took the keys with a shaky hand. "T-Thanks."

"No problem, kid." Burt smiled and gave Sam a hard pat on the back before heading toward the stairs, chuckling to himself.

The blond stood, frozen, for a moment, still trying to process what the hell had just happened. He laughed out a breathless sound and decided not to question it, throwing the door open and climbing into Burt's truck, headed to the place he knew he belonged.

-xXxXx-

The next few months went by like a dream. The upsets and stresses of earlier had become a distant memory and everything settled back to the way it should be, if not a little boring. The only drama was Mr. Schuester's suggestion that Rory sit out Nationals because he'd missed so many practices, but after a very pissed off Sam Evans assured the teacher that nothing of the sort was going to happen, Mike stood up and offered to get Rory up to speed and they'd ended up winning.

After that, even the bullying stopped. Rory was able to walk through school without fear of getting checked into a locker when Sam wasn't around. By the end of his sophomore year, his life had taken a 180 degree turn. He thought back to what he'd imagined America would be like when he was back in Ireland and he smiled widely when he realized that, despite the bumps in the road, things were finally like he'd imagined.

He was in love with his cute jock boyfriend, he had friends who would do anything for him, and he felt more accepted than he ever had in his life.

Sam came up behind him, snaking his arms around the Irish boy's middle and pressing a quick kiss to the side of his neck. "Ready to go, babe?"

Rory shut his locker and turned around in his boyfriend's arms, rocking forward to kiss him on the lips. "Of course."

Sam smiled and kissed him again quickly on the tip of his nose, causing Rory to crinkle his nose, a bright smile playing on his lips.

Rory's phone vibrated in his pocket. He lifted the phone up to read the message.

_Love, our plane gets in at five instead of six tonight. You should see your brother; he's so excited he can't sit still. See you soon. :) xoxo -Mum_

A blinding smile lit up Rory's face as he realized: He never had to leave. He was home.


End file.
